Pawprints
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: In a world where some people can shape-shift into animals, the government has labeled them as hostile and trained groups of Hunters to eliminate the threat. But one unenthusiastic Huntress discovers these so-called monsters might be more human than the people trying to kill them. [Panther AU].
1. The Hunt

**Back with another old roleplay, now edited and remastered! I'll be honest, I didn't even remember this one at all, so editing and re-reading it is gonna be an experience for me as well, ahah. We called it Panther AU.**

**It jumps between Weiss, Blake, and Yang to start. I'll do my best to make it clear who is speaking. My partner wrote Blake and Adam, and I wrote Weiss and Yang, so they're typically mentioned together in the beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Pawprints

Chapter 1. The Hunt

The insistent crunching of the leaves beneath her boots was almost infuriating, and Weiss let out a growl. It drew the attention of her blonde companion as they trudged through the unfamiliar forest.

"What's the matter, princess? Not up for the hunt today?" Yang jeered.

"Shut up. Of course I am. It's just that they're going to be alerted to our _every damn move_ at this rate," Weiss snapped, keeping her eyes focused ahead.

"Come on. You really think Panthers are that smart?"

"You think they're _not?_ They're cunning, Yang. They can strategize. You've seen it for yourself, haven't you?" she shot back.

Yang fell silent for a moment, and Weiss knew she was scratching at her companion's old wounds.

"I know…" Yang muttered. "I know that they're just vicious killers. Nothing more. Brainless _animals_."

Weiss said no more as their band of Hunters continued onward.

Panthers. Shape-shifters, essentially. The genes were arbitrary and had no clear predictability pattern of which peoples' offspring they would show up in. But it wasn't too hard to tell once the baby was born, as its hands and feet were coated in thick fur that melted into the skin. Ones like these were born in human form with the ability to transform into animals.

However, some were born as beasts and stole the ability of taking the human form. They would learn the language, hold their form and hide their fur, infiltrate peaceful towns or campsites and mingle with humanity-

-and then begin a gruesome slaughter.

It was because of reasons like these Remnant's government had demanded the eradication of all Panthers born in beast form. Human-born infants could be taught and coaxed to forget their animalistic tendencies at a young age, but beast-born cubs were to be wiped out completely.

Yang's younger sister Ruby had fallen prey to one instance of Panther infiltration. A Panther who'd taken the form of a young girl had tricked Ruby into friendship, only to suddenly turn on and attack her. The mauling of her left leg had been so bad, it'd put her in a wheelchair and more or less paralyzed her, and current medical technology had yet to find a proper way to mold her a sturdy enough replacement limb.

It was understandable why Yang despised the beasts so much, why she had become a Huntress and decided to devote her life to killing the animals that had maimed her sister. Weiss was only in it for the money, but she could see where the blonde girl was coming from.

She was pulled from her reverie when their leader, Ozpin, instructed the band to halt. He shared a few words with his associate, a woman named Glynda, before she turned back to address the other Hunters of the group.

"We set up camp here for today. There have been no Panthers reported within a five mile radius so far. We'll prepare for the hunt tomorrow."

Weiss shared a glance with Yang who simply shrugged, and they both slipped out of their backpacks and began setting up camp.

. . .

**The night air was cool** and still around the campground they had set up, the crackling of fire being the loudest noise in the forest. Blake leaned back against the tree she sat near, relaxing herself in preparation for the hunt while her golden eyes flicked around the camp to observe.

The men and women walking around the camp wore simple clothes made of leather or wool. They went about doing whatever jobs they were assigned to keep their pack functioning.

The creak of a tree branch above her was the only warning before a panther landed next to her, its fur black with spots of rust-red flecked through it. Blake looked up as the large cat turned to look at her.

"When do we go hunting, Adam?" she asked. The creature slowly transformed into a man with red hair.

"Soon. I need to gather everyone first. And throw me some pants," he grunted, indicating the pair of simple leggings next to Blake. She picked them up and silently tossed them over along with a shirt. Adam put them on before walking away further into the camp to gather the Panthers taking part in the hunt.

Blake was a Panther, a human child randomly born with the genes that gave her the ability to shape-shift. Her parents had tried to teach her to be human, to forget her animalistic side, but she never forgot.

At first she had rebelled, but when it only brought punishment, she faked obedience, all the while staying in touch with the animal inside her.

She had met Adam as a teenager. He was like her, and they'd formed a fast friendship born of mutual experiences. They'd ran away together in search of other Panthers like them, and soon had a small pack of 30 members. Some of them were human-born Panthers, others animals who had learned to take human form, but all of them were searching for acceptance and family.

She was broken from her thoughts when the animal ears atop her head twitched - keeping her animal ears even while in human form had been a small act of defiance she had picked up as a child that had never disappeared. Adam and eight other members came over to her.

"You ready, Blake?" he asked as they started stripping down. She nodded before standing up and doing the same. Without a word they all transformed into their animal selves, Blake a sleek panther with jet-black fur. They took up an easy pace as they made their way into the forest.

The hunt had begun.

. . .

Dinner was a can of beans over the meager fireplace they had put together. If there was one thing Yang was good for other than hunting Panthers, it was making a fire, and Weiss was thankful to have her.

However, since they planned to go on a hunt tomorrow, the Hunters were also provided with a bit of meat Ozpin and Glynda had procured beforehand. Weiss didn't like the idea of eating meat before a hunt, though; the smell could attract a Panther from miles away, and even though their band was supposedly a good distance away from any of the creatures, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Yang took a seat on the log beside Weiss as she nibbled at her slab of meat, the blonde tearing into hers in a fine display of gluttony.

"So…" she grunted between mouthfuls. "If I can take down three of 'em tomorrow, my kill count will be up to thirty. How many've you gotten since you've joined our humble little band?"

Weiss cast her a quick glance and snorted.

"This will only be my fifth hunt. I've only killed six so far."

"Cubs don't count."

"Ugh, fine. Then I've killed four of them," Weiss grumbled, finishing off her meat. She hadn't taken pride in killing those cubs, but with her peers shouting curses at her until her ears rung painfully, it had been much harder _not_ to.

Yang leaned back and put her hands behind her head.

"I still remember my first kill. It was the bitch that attacked Ruby. I stabbed her with every knife in that kitchen and wrung her damn neck with my bare hands."

Weiss shuddered, "All right, can we not talk about it?" She didn't love her job like Yang did. Weiss just needed cash and she happened to qualify to be a Huntress. Ozpin had actually asked for her specifically, so it was near impossible to refuse, especially when her father had pressured her.

Yang reached out and punched Weiss' shoulder lightly.

"Fine. I'll stop talking. But you're a big softie, Weiss. If you're gonna keeping Hunting, you're gonna have to toughen up more. This is the real world and it ain't pretty. If you're too soft, this job'll be the death of you."

She wouldn't be the first.

"…We should get to bed," Weiss sighed. "We'll be getting up at the crack of dawn, so let's change and kill the fire." Neither of them had to keep watch tonight, so Weiss intended to sleep.

"All right, all right," Yang complied.

They changed into casual wear, Yang in shorts and a tank top and Weiss a blue nightgown - an absolutely _awful_ choice no one had thought to advise her against.

The fires were put out as the Hunters retreated to their tents, all but two who kept the first vigil by guidance of flashlights. Several traps had been set up around the campsite as well for good measure.

Weiss laid down beside Yang, falling asleep just as she did every night; to the sound of the blonde's snores, and the bloody mental images of her first kills.

. . .

**The night was nearly silent** as they moved through the forest, only the muffled sound of paws on the grass and the occasional creak of a tree branch giving away that they were there at all.

Blake loved the freedom and heightened senses that her panther form gave her - even in the dead of night the forest was alive with sounds that only their ears could pick up on.

Panthers had to expend a small amount of energy to hold their secondary form, whether it was human or animal. Blake could feel the burn of exertion as her powerful legs moved underneath her, a feeling that made her feel alive.

A growl from Adam brought them all to a stop. They knew that if he was making such an obvious noise it was important for him to get their attention. He transformed back into a human as he crouched in the darkness, everything but his face obscured as he looked at them.

"Hunters up ahead, about 500 meters to the edge of their camp," he hissed, and the moment the words left his lips Blake felt her pulse quicken as she transformed as well.

"Hunters? Why are they here?" Blake asked.

Another Panther transformed to join the discussion as the others listened.

"What should we do now Adam?" he asked.

The red-haired man in question took a moment to think his answer through.

"It doesn't matter why they're here. We keep moving and avoid them. We're hunting for food, not a fight. Now let's go. And not a sound, got it?"

They all transformed and kept moving, the original mission still on even with the added obstacle of Hunters in the area.

. . .

It was gray when Weiss next opened her eyes to a prodding elbow. She rolled over to glare at the blonde responsible.

"What is it? There's still an hour until dawn."

"Nope. We're gettin' up now, princess," Yang said quickly, already slipping into her hunting pants and top. "The guys keepin' watch last night all said the same thing; they heard too much noise for there _not_ to be a pack of cats roamin' around out there. But a few minutes ago, we just got the word that they're straying closer, so we've been ordered to move out." She pulled on her boots as Weiss sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Yang tossed her an energy bar before standing. "We leave in two minutes." And with that, she disappeared outside.

Weiss sat there a moment and did what she did before every hunt. She wasn't a religious person, but when she was about to take lives, she sent prayers up to whomever would accept them.

Then, she threw her blankets aside and shed her nightgown, biting into the energy bar as she slipped into her pants and tied her boots tightly. Once she'd finished eating and getting changed, she hurried out to the tent where their weapons were kept and pulled out her rifle, making sure it was loaded before slipping her machetes and other various knives into place on her belt. In a pouch at her hip were also a few vials of poison.

She paused once everything was in place.

Seven.

Just seven more.

That was all she needed to kill until she'd reached her quota.

Each Panther hide she sent home to her father was worth a certain amount of lien, and if she could just send him seven more, she would be pulled from the group and brought back home.

Resolved, at least in her mind, she ran back out just as the groups were being divided. Two people were to stay and guard the campsite, mainly their food, medical supplies, and leftover ammunition, but the other eighteen of them were to hunt.

Ozpin placed her in Yang's group as per usual before looking over them all.

"Their numbers are estimated to be between twenty-five and thirty-five, so prepare yourselves. Remember your basic training to aim for the heart or the head. Their hide is thick, but aim correctly at either of those two spots, and you've won. And remember to show no mercy; we're fighting to the death."

With a wave of his hand, he gave the signal.

Weiss glanced up at the slowly-brightening sky one last time and apologized before she followed after Yang.

. . .

**The grey light of the dawn** backlit their mad dash through the forest back to camp. Blake cursed to herself as she glanced around at the other Panthers who were running beside her, tearing through the undergrowth.

They had continued on through the jungle silently after they'd found the Hunter camp. They'd eventually reached their prey, a small herd of deer who had bedded down for the night. It had been a perfect hunt - they'd surrounded the unaware deer and had planned to silently kill them to avoid alerting the Hunters.

But one of the younger Panthers in their group had missed his first prey and it'd started thrashing, alerting the others. The deer had fled toward the Hunters' camp, and the Panthers had panicked and started running back without any of the prey they had managed to kill, not wanting to be slowed down in any way.

Blake's worst fear was confirmed when she saw the Hunter camp alive with activity; they had heard them and now they were mobilizing.

Blake was the first to break into her own camp grounds, quickly transforming back to a human. She ran through the camps, giving quiet warnings and instructions to everyone she saw. Adam was doing the same as were the other members of the hunting party; they needed to move. They were no longer safe with Hunters moving so close.

. . .

Weiss could hear the commotion throughout the forest, and it wasn't just their band of Hunters anymore. She could make out the sounds of huge, heavy paws trampling the earth, but it was quick and frantic.

This wasn't right. Those weren't the slow, strategic sounds of a pack on the prowl. It wasn't calculating and purposefully silent; they weren't hunting - they were running away. This wasn't a hostile pack.

She froze just as the rest of her companions did at Ozpin's silent signal. They instantly crouched down into the underbrush, taking cover behind the bushes. Yang yanked her down by her belt and Weiss grunted, glaring at her.

"What's your problem?"

"You didn't take cover!" the blonde snapped. "If you don't follow orders, you'll end up dead, princess."

"Hardly," she hissed back. "This pack isn't confrontational; they're trying to run! We should let them go-"

"_Can it,_ princess," Yang growled. "Our job is to eliminate _all_ the Panthers, Beast or Human-born."

"It's mindless slaughter," she muttered.

Yang was clearly about to make a remark, but a wave up ahead from Ozpin silenced them. At his command, the Hunters readied their rifles. The pack was thirty seconds away, and they were to ambush them.

Weiss hated hiding in the shadows like a coward, but she had no choice. She readied her rifle and got into position.

. . .

**Blake's pack members moved** as quickly as they could. Half of them transformed into their Panther forms, and the other half stayed human to take their belongings and run in the opposite direction.

Those in the Panther group were to act as a diversion for the others - they were made up of the strongest and fastest, aside from the few who went to keep the other group safe.

Blake was in the diversion group, running through the undergrowth of the forest along with ten other Panthers. They were heading in the direction of the Hunter camp, to have the best possible chance of drawing the enemies' attention towards them and not the others. They would meet at a prearranged point once they had all escaped the area.

Blake was just worried about how many would be left.

The faint smell of gunpowder and sweat reached Blake's nose, barely perceivable even to her enhanced senses. She slowed almost imperceptibly as she tried to figure out the source of the smell; it was growing stronger as they ran. Blake realized the smell was coming from ahead of them, and a split second of fear gripped her before she heard the order:

"FIRE!"

. . .

Weiss wasn't sure which second was worse; the second before the order was given, when they all held their breaths and their guts twisted with anticipation and fear, or the second the attack was given, when they needed to leap from their hiding places and start shooting.

Regardless, both were hell.

Weiss uttered one last apology as the command was given, and she pulled the trigger not a heartbeat later.

The rest of her companions did as well, all firing in unison, making for a deafening blast that reverberated around the forest, sending birds flying and screeching alarm calls.

But they had wings. Those on the ground weren't so lucky.

Everything was chaos. Roars erupted from the area in front of them where the Panthers had gathered and crossed the Hunters' path. But Weiss knew she was right; these weren't sounds of rage and murderous intent, they were sounds of pain and fear. This pack wasn't attacking them - they were merely defending themselves.

But she didn't have a choice.

Standing quickly from where she had been crouching beside Yang, Weiss surmised there were about ten of them. She also noticed that her first bullet had missed.

But true to her nickname of Big Cat Killer, Yang had shot one of them in the shoulder. A few others shot at the cat as well until it fell onto its side; belly exposed, it was an easy target for more bullets and knives.

Weiss looked away.

A male Panther was charging toward a few more of her companions, unaffected by the bullets that missed the most vital of areas. It disarmed one of the men with a mighty paw, and the Hunter caught Weiss eye just as he fell to the ground.

"Schnee! _Shoot it!_" he bellowed.

Weiss grimaced as she raised her rifle and took aim. She only had a second until the cat's jaws clamped onto her companion's shoulder, so she fired almost instantly. The Panther yowled and fell back, letting the man scramble away. Two rustic-colored eyes turned on Weiss and a growl passed through its lips.

The Huntress stood her ground, having long-since been forbidden to run when face-to-face with a beast. She took aim again, but another bullet hitting the animal's rear caused it to change its course and direct its attention at another spot.

Weiss remembered to breathe before she turned around, looking for more cats to fend off.

. . .

**The sound was deafening** as dozens of guns fired all at once, all of them aimed at the spot where Blake and her companions were. Roars and yowls echoed through the forest as some of the other Panthers were hit.

Blake avoided taking a bullet; her last-minute hesitation had slowed her down. The scene around her erupted into chaos as dozens of Hunters burst from the their hiding spots with guns and swords, attacking any panther they saw.

In seconds, Blake saw one of her friends being killed by numerous gunshots to the stomach, another was shot as it tried to immobilize a Hunter.

But it wasn't a one-sided fight. Adam was thundering around, his razor-sharp claws severing hamstrings and his jaws closing around throats.

Blake could feel her stomach turn over at the death that was all around her. She sprinted to the left, wanting to escape, but a Hunter stepped in her path, gun raised. She jumped and landed on the man, knocking his gun aside. He looked up at her with fear in his eyes.

But Blake just leapt off of him and sprinted away from the carnage and bloodshed, wanting to disappear further into the woods. Behind her, a mangled cry rang out before descending into gurgling, and then silence.

. . .

Weiss could see the fight was about even.

Of the eighteen Hunters that had been dispatched, Weiss had seen two killed and five run off in retreat without weapons left to fight with. Two Panthers had been slaughtered already, and almost all of them were wounded in some way.

Yang was fighting furiously, smeared with blood, the powerful swings of her machete just as effective as a swing from one of the mighty paws. She was ruthless and brutal, fueled by rage and wrath and the thirst for revenge. But she wasn't mindless in battle either. She took aim carefully, rarely ever missing her target.

But there was only a certain level of merciless killing Weiss could handle.

Some Hunters killed for the sake of killing the beasts, but others wanted pelts. Most Panthers stayed in beast form if engaged in battle with Hunters for the advantages their cat forms gave them. But if they truly wanted to surrender, they would take their human forms in hopes of gaining sympathy, or if they simply weren't willing to give those with guns the pelts they sought.

After all, the form they died in was the form their bodies stayed in.

But some Hunters would likely still kill them anyway out of spite. Yang was included in the latter group, while Weiss liked to believe she was in the former.

A young male Panther had been caught in one of the traps set up around their campsite ahead of time, one hind leg snagged in the sharp teeth of a tiger trap. Weiss was the first to stumble upon him as he thrashed about furiously in an effort to dislodge it, but each movement only brought more pain - Weiss could see it in his terrified eyes. She took aim and watched his ears flatten in terror.

She only needed seven more pelts-

-but she couldn't kill him. Not like this. Not when he couldn't even put up a fight to defend himself. Not when he was likely only trying to protect his family somewhere off in the woods.

No one else was watching her.

She held the cat's gaze for a second; he was terrified, but far too prideful to try and earn sympathy by turning into his human form. If he died, he wanted it to be as a Panther.

Yang wasn't the only Huntress with near-flawless aim.

In battle, unless hers or someone else's life depended on it, Weiss put on the guise of being a rookie, almost always missing her mark purposefully, hitting flanks instead of chests, shoulders instead of heads.

But in actuality, she had qualified to be a Huntress, and her aim was superior to Yang's.

Weiss shot at the trap's wire, disabling the snare instantly as it fell limp around the Panther's back leg. He stared at Weiss for a moment, but she simply shrugged. Then he dipped his head, turned tail, and fled into the bushes.

"Hey!"

Weiss went stiff when a shout sounded from behind her, and she whipped around to see Yang storming over to her. The blonde shot a round after the Panther Weiss had released, but he was already gone.

Dread crashed over her as Yang lowered her rifle; had she seen?

"Sorry," Weiss said quickly. "I-"

"Don't sweat it. Sometimes they twist around and you miss. That was just a _really_ unfortunate shot on your part." She patted Weiss' shoulder roughly. "But the battle's still ragin' so we should get back." With that, she charged off through the undergrowth, following the sounds of shouts and snarls.

Weiss swallowed and went after her.

. . .

**Blake ran as fast as her legs** could carry her, the undergrowth of the forest slowing her down a little. She could hear the yowls of pain from her companions and the cries of agony from the Hunters.

It all made her sick to her stomach and sad with this world.

She saw the blonde titan of a Huntress attacking Panthers with viciously powerful machete swings. Blake avoided getting too close to that Hunter, and so were all of the Panthers who still had full mobility.

Blake was skirting the edges of the battle, trying to remain unseen by hiding in the shadows cast by the trees in the early morning light. She almost made it out when she looked to her left and saw a white-haired Huntress also on the edge of the fighting.

Blake was going to turn and run right when the Huntress made eye contact with her. A moment of stillness passed between them as they both remained still. Then the Huntress raised her gun, and Blake made a dash to close the distance and make the weapon ineffective.

. . .

She ended up on the outer ring of the battle, far enough away from the heart of the fray that she could catch her breath.

But she had yet to kill one, damn it.

Hunters kept track of how many Panthers they killed in a battle, so in the end, when they walked around the area, they could claim bodies for their Kill Counts. Chances were that another Hunter had seen the kill and could validate who got the pelt.

The only way Weiss would luck out was if a Hunter who had killed a Panther had been killed as well and she could claim that pelt as her own. But it was risky to claim another person's kill, because if anyone had seen or had proof it hadn't been hers, she could get into a world of trouble even worse than the one she was already in.

She'd been mulling it all over with the sounds of fighting in the distance when a flash of movement caught her eye.

The Panther she saw was unlike any other. Sleek, well-muscled, with thick ebony fur that shone in the sunlight even in the midst of a battle, hardly matted or punctured by any cuts or wounds.

Weiss knew all the things to look for in a good pelt.

It was _extremely_ rare to ever get such a blessing. Usually the cats killed at the beginning of the fight or in one shot were the best kills because their fur didn't have the chance to get too damaged in the fray.

But this one…

This one was probably worth _three_ of her seven remaining pelts.

Weiss couldn't afford to pass this up.

She raised her rifle and took aim between the eyes, now being one of the few times she'd aim for real and not for show.

But it was _fast_.

The Panther charged her before she could even lift the gun entirely. Weiss fired in panic, and the bullet scored one of the front paws, but it didn't stop the cat from letting out a roar and bowling into her full-force, staggering her and knocking her back until-

-there was nothing.

The ground fell away from her and she lost her rifle as the Panther brought them both over a hidden cliff face. They rolled down the rocky hillside together, the giant, heavy body crushing the breath from Weiss as she tumbled, smashing against the sharp rocks and feeling like different bones broke every time.

When it was finally over, they rolled off into the grassy ravine at the bottom, several feet between them.

Weiss couldn't get up. She was barely even conscious. She could feel blood trickling from somewhere but she wasn't sure where.

_So this is how I die? Fitting. This'll be easier than continuing to hunt like this, anyway…_

She coughed painfully and closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

. . .

**The blast of the rifle preceded** the searing pain Blake felt in her left paw, but the adrenaline coursing through her dulled the pain and she kept charging. She roared as she leaped onto the Huntress.

Blake was anticipating the hard ground to stop the descent, but only empty air met them.

They tumbled down the cliff, rolling as every rock seemed to rise up to meet Blake and injure her further. The body she had tumbled with hadn't been heavy, but it seemed that the rocks had made up for this by attacking Blake.

Right as they reached the end of their downward journey, the back of Blake's head struck a rock. Her vision blurred as she felt the small trickle of blood from the wound. She could barely concentrate. The world around her blurred and spun as she saw the Huntress stand on shaky legs.

_I hope she makes it quick at least..._

Blake lie still on her side, hoping maybe the Huntress would think the fall had killed her so her weapons wouldn't have to.

. . .

Like hell.

_Like hell_ she was going to die here. She only needed to send her father seven more pelts, and then she could go back home to her normal life and put all of this behind her, at least physically. If she could kill this cat, she could bring her requirements down to only four more.

If she took this life now, it was one less she'd have to take in the future.

With that in mind, Weiss forced herself up, a concussive throbbing pounding through her head and sending shockwaves throughout her entire body. She staggered to her feet, looking past the blood that bleared her vision to locate the Panther.

It wasn't getting up, and she needed to kill it before it had the chance to change forms.

She drew one of her machetes, considering it a miracle that she hadn't lost all of the knives and that none of them had came loose and stabbed her on the way down. She could've used her poison, but that would make for a slow, painful death, and she refuse to do that if she could help it. One puncture with the knife between the eyes was all it would take.

She limped over to the helpless animal, feeling bile rise up in her throat at what she was about to do.

_Please forgive me._

But when a sudden surge of pain ripped through her torso, Weiss let out a strangled cry and dropped her blade. She fell to her knees mere feet away from the Panther and cringed onto her side in agony at some internal hindrance. Tears jumped into her eyes as she curled in on herself, coughing wildly as her body jerked in sporadic motions.

_Oh god… Just kill me now…_

. . .

**Blake watched with her fuzzy** vision as the Huntress pulled out one of her machetes and made her way over with staggering steps. Blake closed her eyes, wanting to let her death be quick, and knowing the Huntress would do so to preserve her pelt.

_Just make it painless..._Blake begged silently, even though she knew the Huntress couldn't hear her.

The end never came.

The brief flash of pain before death never arrived for Blake. All she heard was a strangled cry and the clatter of metal on stone.

She slowly opened her eyes to look and see what was going on, why the Huntress hadn't struck her down and ended it.

The white-haired girl was lying on her side, curled in on herself as she coughed and twitched sporadically, the machete forgotten on the ground as the Huntress suffered from some pain incurred on the fall down.

Blake could feel her strength returning already - Panthers had increased endurance and regenerative abilities. The fur slowly receded into her body, bones and muscles realigning themselves back into their human form.

Shakily, Blake propped herself up, still disorientated but quickly regaining her bearings. She looked at the fallen Huntress - the one who was trying to kill her. She _should_ feel feel anger or resentment, but all she could muster was pity for the wounded girl.

Blake pushed to her feet and limped over to her. Kneeling down, she pressed her hands to the girl's side, letting her aura flow into her to heal her.

_I'm such an idiot... She's going to try and kill me once I finish healing her._

But even still she healed the girl to the best of her abilities.

. . .

"Ah-! Hnn…" Weiss sputtered, chest heaving as she tried to fill her lungs. "Kill me, just _kill me._.." She begged silently to whatever forces would take her up on the offer. Her aura wasn't strong enough to heal it, whatever it was. She hadn't eaten enough and was too exhausted from the battle and the fall down the cliff.

The pain was spreading and getting worse, and she couldn't concentrate enough to draw breath. A slight rustle of leaves signified the Panther had moved; she was going to die here, after all.

Suddenly, there was a pressure on her ribs past her layered clothing, and she cringed. But it wasn't jaws clamping down or giant paws trying to crush her.

Instead, they were small, gentle hands, and Weiss opened her eyes slowly as she felt the sensation of another aura flowing into her, spreading warmth throughout.

A young girl probably about her own age sat before her. A thin layer of black fur ran around her legs and up to her naval, all around her back and chest, exposing only a bit of her stomach and everything above her collar to show smooth, white skin. A tail twitched nervously behind her in the dust, and her catlike ears were flattened with fear atop her head.

It took a moment for Weiss to register what was happening. The Panther had changed forms. She couldn't have the pelt now…

No. How was she even thinking about that now? This girl was healing her. Even after they'd tried to kill each other just moments ago…

It only served to prove everything Weiss had ever believed.

Weiss wheezed, feeling the pain gradually start to subside, noticing the girl's left hand was bleeding a bit as well. She looked up to seek her eyes, instantly getting lost in captivating gold. The Huntress could only stammer as she lie at the girl's hands.

"Wh… what are you… doing…?"

. . .

**Blake poured her aura** into the girl, careful to leave enough should she need to change forms and flee. The girl looked up at her, Blake's amber eyes meeting mist-blue. The sound of the girl's thin, weak voice startled Blake. Her ears pressed flat against her skull and her tail flicked erratically.

"Shhh, d-don't talk. You hurt yourself really badly," Blake responded, avoiding the actual question. What was she doing? Here she was helping the enemy, a Hunter who devoted her life to killing Blake and her kind.

But the pity she felt for the injured girl was more than any resentment Blake harbored. She couldn't let the girl slowly bleed out and die. And Blake was no murderer by choice and refused to kill her to put her out of her misery.

Another few moments of silence passed between them as Blake finished healing the fallen girl as much as she could. An unnerving atmosphere surrounded them, neither sure how to proceed in this unusual situation.

. . .

_Hurt myself? _You're_ the one that tackled me off a cliff!_

But Weiss didn't say it aloud, because _she'd_ been the one to aim the gun at the girl first. Her injuries were her own fault.

She could feel the wound's severity lessening, becoming less and less of a danger to her as the girl finished healing her.

Weiss pushed herself up, still fearful and wary that the black-haired girl might transform and pounce on her. But why would she waste her aura on Weiss only to kill her? That didn't make sense.

She caught her breath and looked the peculiar girl up and down, amazed at the near-perfect human form, aside from the fur, ears, and tail. Weiss assumed this girl was Human-born. She'd been right all along about this pack not being hostile.

"I knew it…" she muttered.

She noticed a slight nick in the girl's left ear, an old wound she assumed was from some other unwarranted attack from Hunters.

"Damn it…" Weiss spat. This was what she was afraid would happen; that she'd start to sympathize with them more than she already did. If she could just mindlessly slaughter like Yang, this would be easy, but…

Weiss reached out and took the girl's injured hand, emitting her aura onto the wound before she could pull away.

"I repay my favors," she grumbled, trying to sound confident, though her hands were shaking. She kept her eyes trained on the fur-coated hand in her lap, admittedly scared to look back up into her eyes.

_What the hell am I doing…?_

. . .

**Blake turned her head away** as she noticed the other girl observing her, the mist-blue eyes looking up and down her body. Blake was suddenly very aware of her lack of clothes; only a small amount of fur on her body offered her any modesty.

She could clearly hear the girl muttering to herself. Blake's enhanced hearing allowed her to make out the words, but she decided to not comment.

She flinched away when the Huntress reached out to take her hand, but she couldn't pull away before the white-haired girl had her hands clasped around Blake's. A soothing cool aura flowed into Blake's wrist, healing the wound that the bullet had caused.

The other girl kept her hand around Blake's, resting it in her lap and staring. Blake cleared her throat to get the girl's attention.

"Thank you…?" She left it hanging in the air, unsure.

. . .

The sounds of the battle were dying down in the distance, and Weiss could only hope no more from either side had died aside from what she'd already witnessed beforehand.

She'd be in immense trouble if anyone - Panther _or_ human - found her now.

But it was hard to pull her eyes away from the Panther girl's gaze, and Weiss couldn't help but notice that her torn left ear very much mirrored the scar over Weiss' own left eye. A Panther had given her that scar in her first hunt ever, and she assumed this girl had a similar story to her injury.

She had to admit she was mildly curious…

She finished healing the girl's hand, yet it wasn't pulled away from her fingers, nor did she push it away purposefully. What was this girl asking from her?

"Don't… don't take this the wrong way. I had… every intent to kill you. Your pelt's beautiful," she grumbled, trying to keep up the act. "I'm a Huntress, and killing is all I'm here to do. You're lucky you changed forms. I won't kill you like this…"

. . .

**Blake could hear the sounds** of the battle above them dying down, though even with her enhanced hearing she couldn't tell which side had won.

Her hand remained in the Huntress'. The other girl had a scar that ran down the left side of her face, very clearly from a claw.

"I know you intended to kill me. Thank you, though... for not..." Blake stiffened as she used her right hand to tap her left that rested in the Huntress'. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she thought about the statement that the Huntress had made. "Why won't you kill me like this?" she questioned.

Most Hunters killed all Panthers they came into contact with, whether they were in human or Panther form.

. . .

"Hmph. It's because of what I said before. Your pelt would be worth triple any other cats'. It'd be a terrible shame and a waste of an opportunity to kill you in this form and lose all of that fur."

Weiss considered drawing one more of her smaller knifes that rested on her belt, that if she threatened the girl, perhaps she'd change forms again in self-defense.

But…

But she didn't _want_ to kill her.

She didn't want to kill _any_ of them.

A horribly foolish thought crossed her mind then, and Weiss met the girl's eyes, her own blue ones serious as she parted her lips.

"Could… could you-"

"Weiss?!"

A familiar cry sounded from the top of the cliff, and Weiss slapped a palm to her mouth.

Yang.

"You have to get out of here," Weiss growled, shoving the Panther girl away from her. "Even if you take your cat form, I won't kill you today. But _she_ will." Weiss ushered the girl away, waving her hands furiously as she heard pebbles tumbling down the cliff, signifying Yang was coming down.

"Go!" she hissed at the girl. "I'm definitely going to get that pelt of yours, but not today. So get out of here!"

. . .

**Blake could hear the desperation** in the girl's voice as she tried to chase Blake off. She could sense something about this white-haired Huntress, something that was different from other Hunters, but she couldn't tell what it was.

The other Huntress had called out a name; 'Weiss.' That must be hers.

Blake paused for a moment to look back at Weiss. Huntress or not, she'd spared Blake's life today, and that's more than could be said for any other full-fledged human. Blake showed gratitude in the only way she knew how to, bending down to lick Weiss' knuckles once.

"Thank you, Weiss. For not killing me. My name is Blake." She backed away and quietly shifted forms before racing off. She headed for the rendezvous point with the rest of the pack.

She wondered if she'd ever see Weiss again.

* * *

**A/N: All right gonna end chapter 1 here! This one was a long one to get the story-building and characters established, but I'm gonna try to make future chapters a bit shorter, depending on where it feels right to put a pause on the events.**

**Re-reading it now, I think this was one of my friends' and my greater AU ideas! It's definitely different from my usual!**

**Please review!**


	2. The Escape

**Picking up right where chapter 1 left off, from Weiss' POV.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2. The Escape

Weiss watched the Panther go, amazed and awestruck at the effortless and painless transformation; the simplicity of it seemed almost unreal. There was still a warmth lingering on her knuckles, and she was admittedly stunned by what had just happened.

That girl… she'd _kissed_ her. Sort of.

What kind of Panther licked a Huntress' hand after she'd nearly killed her? Even if it was a display of gratitude, it was extremely hard to believe it'd just happened.

Skidding boots over rock alerted Weiss to her companion's arrival, and she quickly laid herself down on her side; if she appeared unconscious, she'd have an excuse not to have a cat's pelt in her hands by now.

"Weiss!" Footsteps rushed to her and Yang knelt down, turning her over onto her back and pulling her into her lap, pressing an ear to her chest instantly. There was a sigh of relief from the blonde, and she pulled away after a moment. "God, you really did a number on yourself, huh? I wish I could've stopped that monster, but I had my own to deal with…"

Weiss opened her eyes slowly, feigning more pain than she really felt and making her voice sound meek.

"Yang…"

"Shh, hey it's okay, princess. You did your best today. It's over now. Let's get you back to camp."

Yang laid her down briefly to gather the girl's machete that had spiraled away and slipped it into place at her belt. She then lifted Weiss easily, and the white-haired girl let her; she didn't think she'd do too well with walking anyway.

"How did we do?" Weiss asked. She wanted to sound interested in the success of their hunt, but honestly, she hoped their Kill Count was small.

Yang clicked her tongue. "We lost four of ours. But we killed three of theirs. I got my count up another number," she said proudly. "I'll tell you more back at camp. Just rest up."

Weiss closed her eyes and took the blonde's advice, but even in the darkness behind her eyelids, all she could see were two pools of deep gold.

. . .

**Blake slowly paced away** \- even though she had increased regenerative abilities, she still felt pain throughout her body from the fall. A lingering sting ached in her left paw where Weiss had shot her; the memory of the girl was still vivid in her mind as she made her way to the rendezvous point.

_Why am I so interested in this girl? She's a Huntress. She's devoted to killing people like me... _But even still she couldn't take her mind off of the white-haired girl she had encountered today. _I almost hope I _do_ see her again, though on friendlier terms..._

The rendezvous point was a small cave that was hidden behind an outcropping of large granite boulders. She melted back into her human form and another Panther wordlessly threw her a pair of pants. Adam approached her as she finished putting them on.

"We lost three today. Those damn Hunters-" he shouted, punching a rock and splitting his knuckles open. Blake just silently nodded, unsure of how to be feeling now. She should be angry and upset that their pack had lost three members, but still all she could think about was how Weiss had healed her and spared her life.

. . .

Yang took her back the campsite, bringing her to the medical tent and laying her down on one of the blankets on the ground. The blonde left her to be treated before heading back out into the forest to retrieve the Panther she had slain and to help with the burials of their fallen comrades.

Weiss was still as the healer woman unbuttoned her jacket to have better access at her bruised stomach and ribs. She was given various pills and supplements to help regenerate her aura and healing abilities, and antibiotics were drizzled onto her open wounds before they were cleaned and wrapped.

"It's a miracle you didn't snap your neck," the woman said. "There's evidence there should've been a lot of internal bleeding, but you must've lucked out, because it's not nearly as bad as it should be." She seemed a bit baffled by everything, but Weiss didn't speak up.

She knew why she hadn't died. Because that Panther girl - _Blake_ \- had healed her.

But why?

She was obviously a Human-born, so perhaps the human part of herself had taken pity on Weiss. But still, that didn't explain saving her when Weiss had been trying to _kill her._

It only proved Weiss' beliefs that not all Panthers were murderous killers.

She knew one thing for certain, though; it was going to be a lot harder to shoot any of them from now on. Part of Weiss wanted to meet Blake again, but not so she could kill her.

She didn't quite know why, but she wanted to… talk to her…

She groaned internally.

_God, what am I thinking…?_

. . .

**Everyone was quiet and somber** in the camp. They had lost three of their own, and in a small pack like this everyone knew everyone. Blake sat in a darkened corner of the cave away from the other members of the pack, lost in her thoughts.

Adam had wrapped his knuckles with some clean bandages that had been provided before heading off with others to devise their next plan of action.

Blake just wanted to be alone. The turmoil of her thoughts was the only thing she could focus on. She was unsure of how to feel right now - the Hunters had made their lives hell for as long as she could remember, and now they'd killed three of their pack.

But even still, Blake didn't want to believe that they were _all_ evil. That Weiss girl had spared her life, even healed her injured hand.

A voice called her from the entrance of the cave.

"Blake, come on. Adam is calling a meeting."

Blake just nodded, knowing that the person could see her even in the low-lit cave. Standing up, she walked out of the cave to the entrance where the remaining members of the pack were gathered, Adam standing in the center of them.

. . .

Weiss rested for a few hours alongside the other injured Hunters. Only when the sun was starting to set did Yang come back in, asking if she was up for the send-offs. The white-haired girl grunted as she pushed herself off, saying she would attend. Yang helped her to her feet and brought her outside.

Ozpin had sent a call back to the Headquarters for a team to come and take back the bodies of the deceased Hunters. In addition, they sent in a wave of new arrivals. Those who were severely injured were sent home, but Weiss was not among them. They tallied each successful Hunters' kills, including Yang's, and took back the Panthers' bodies as well, pulled by carts and horses.

In the end, when those who had gone had gone, and those who had arrived set up camp, they had thirty people. Ozpin and Glynda were angry about having lost so many, and they intended to hunt down the pack again in a few days. The new arrivals had reimbursed them with new rifles and ammunition as well.

They ate a quiet supper as the night crept in on them, and Weiss still couldn't forget Blake's eyes.

Every creaking twig sent her jolting, but they weren't being watched anymore.

_We shouldn't be hunting them. Not _that_ group. They're Human-born…_

But she knew saying so would be useless now; the pack had killed some of their companions. It didn't matter that it was out of self-defense. Humans held grudges and the only way they would stop killing now would be when the last Panther in the responsible group was dead.

Weiss chewed slowly on the charred fish that had been caught in the stream earlier as she addressed Yang.

"When are we moving out again?"

Yang spit out a bone and stretched her arms up above her head.

"Day after tomorrow. Some of the cats are injured too, and enhanced healing abilities or not, it'll take them a few days to recover. Don't worry," she patted Weiss' shoulder. "We'll get 'em. For all those who died, and for people like my sister who were betrayed by them. We'll get 'em."

Weiss gave a weak smile, feigning agreement.

_I don't want to, though…_

. . .

**Blake hovered at the edge** of the group as Adam looked to a younger member of the pack, making sure that all of them were there for the meeting.

"We've lost three of our pack today, and they will be deeply missed. But we must continue to move to our original destination."

"What about the Hunters in the area? What if we encounter them again?" Blake called from her spot at the fringe. She had a sinking feeling about what Adam would say. He'd acted one way until now when it was other Panthers from other groups that had been killed, but now that it had been some of his own-

"Kill them. Every last one of them," he said coldly, not a hint of emotion in his voice as he dismissed Blake's question.

Blake felt a pit of fear form in her stomach as she silently slipped away, the others busy planning for what to do if they encountered the group of Hunters again. Walking back into the cave, Blake took up her spot in the darkened corner, the only light the gold of her eyes as she stared at the wall. Her thoughts were consumed by Weiss.

_I'm afraid for her. I don't want her to get hurt… God what am I doing?_

. . .

It was when they were lying in their tents that night trying to fall asleep when Weiss felt a pang of fear through her heart.

"So…" Yang cleared her throat, hands behind her head leisurely as she looked up at the underside of their tent. "Did you see that one Panther? I mean… _god_ it was gorgeous. It looked like a younger one and it was slim, so I'm guessin' it was female, probably one that's never kitted before. I only saw her briefly, but _damn_ that pelt'd be worth a ton. I hope I'm the one who gets her next time."

Weiss knew exactly which cat she was talking about.

She wanted to believe the flipping in her stomach was defensiveness for her prey; she'd vowed to take Blake's pelt herself.

But that was the bigger problem.

Blake. She knew her name. She'd spoken to her and healed her and been healed by her, and now…

…Now Weiss was scared for the Panther girl's life. Because Yang was after it, and when the blonde set her eyes on a target, she never let it slip. She felt Blake was more of a… companion than prey, and that was a deadly thought for a Huntress; if the cat didn't betray and kill her, the humans might.

"I didn't see it," Weiss lied.

"Oh-ho~ don't worry, you will, princess. When it's hangin' on my wall back home~"

Weiss turned onto her side away from Yang and closed her eyes.

. . .

**Eventually, Blake was called** out from the cave again. The meeting had concluded and they were bedding down for the night. Adam found her as she was finding a spot under a tree to sleep. He stood over her as she was laying against the tree trunk.

"Why do you care what happens to those Hunters, Blake?" There was a glint in his eyes, but his expression was unreadable.

"I don't want to kill," Blake mumbled. "It helps no one, and only brings more sadness and anger to both sides." She was careful not to reveal the other reason. She didn't want to see Weiss hurt. She barely knew the white-haired Huntress but something about her just fascinated Blake and made her want to keep the girl safe.

Adam growled.

"Well, if we stay passive they're gonna kill _us_, so we're just gonna kill them first. Simple as that." He kicked up dirt as he turned and left, signaling he wouldn't carry the argument further.

Sighing, Blake turned over on her side. All she could think about was meeting Weiss again and talking to her.

_I need to find a way to keep her safe… regardless of what Adam thinks._

* * *

The next day was more or less an uneventful one. It was mainly a day of recuperation; if there was anything good about a hunt, it was the day after if you'd survived, because they gave out quite the generous meal. The meat was given seasonings, and the new arrivals had brought a rare treat: milk.

After a morning of lugging new equipment into the tents around the campsite, Weiss and Yang were presently sitting on a fallen log together, having finished their meals, and now were downing the drink. Yang had gotten a melancholy expression, and Weiss had to ask.

"What is it?"

The blonde wiped her arm over her lips and cleared her throat.

"Nothin'. It's just… milk is Ruby's favorite, and just thinkin' about her is makin' me more and more eager to get back out there tomorrow and hunt," she growled before changing the subject. "How're ya holdin' up, princess?"

"Better," Weiss admitted. "It's just the aches and soreness now, but that'll be gone by tomorrow. I'll be able to join the hunt." _But not so I can kill them…_

"Great, great!" Yang cheered as she finished off her milk. "Then what say you to wipin' down the knives, reloading the guns, and hittin' the hay? We have first vigil tonight."

"Right…" She stood and followed Yang, crushing the empty plastic bottle in her hands before tossing it into one of the waste bags.

_I'll find her again tomorrow no matter what._

. . .

**The next day was one of activity** and movement. Everyone in the pack had something to do. People were packing up the supplies they had, organizing for when they moved out, others were preparing food.

Blake was moving from task to task, helping wherever she could even though her mind wasn't on any of the things she did.

_What if we run into the Hunters again? How will I keep that girl safe? _Should_ I keep her safe? What if she tries to kill me again? What if Adam finds out...?_

Blake's mind was a maelstrom of questions and unsure feelings.

Her ears twitched when she heard the sound of growling. Stopping the task she was working on, she silently walked over to the source of the sound. Her heart dropped when she saw what it was.

Adam and most of the other stronger Panthers were in animal form, and they were scuffling, training, practicing their ambushes and killing moves. They were preparing for a fight, and if they coordinated it could be a slaughter. The thought of that much killing made Blake sick to her stomach.

. . .

Weiss sat vigil for two hours with Yang as the sun was going down. They patrolled the campsite with eyes and ears alert, using the moonlight and flashlights to guide them when it got too dark. But the forest was still and quiet, as though plotting.

When their shift was over, they woke up the next two guards and headed to their tent, and Weiss thought it a miracle that she actually fell asleep at all with all the thoughts that had been buzzing in her mind. She hoped the pack of Panthers had gotten too far away by now to be tracked; after all, the Hunter's band needed to stay within a certain-mile radius of camp.

But when she was roused the next morning, she could hear the murmurs around camp, telling how the cats were nearby. Her heart sank as she put on her jacket and scarfed down some food.

_Even though her pelt would be worth triple, I won't kill her. But… if anyone had to, I'd want it to be me…_

She was conflicted, angry at herself that part of her wanted to feign illness and skip the hunt. But the other half knew that if she went along, she could distract Hunters that _did_ try to shoot Blake, or direct their attention elsewhere.

She knew she shouldn't be choosing favorites - _especially_ with Panthers - but she felt drawn to Blake after their first encounter.

_God, I'm going to get at least one of us killed… or both..._

A call of her name from Yang alerted her, and she pulled on her boots. Absentmindedly, she took a single-strap bag along with her, stuffing a few items from her side of the tent into it before stepping out into the cool morning air and heading to the weapons' tent.

. . .

**They moved through the early** morning forest like ghosts, only the smallest rustle of grass to mark that they were moving. Adam had brought more Panthers in the main group this time; only the bare minimum to carry their supplies were in the secondary group, and even then they were the young and elderly.

Blake brought up the rear of the pack. Nearly twenty other panthers spread out ahead of her to avoid them being too close together in case of another ambush. Adam was in the front of the pack - all of them were alert to the smallest noise or sign of the Hunters.

_Please let them have moved off in search of us in the wrong direction. I don't want anymore bloodshed. I don't want to see that girl hurt. _

Blake swung her head slowly left and right to observe the surroundings. She was intent on keeping Weiss out of harm's way, even if it meant distracting or stopping one of her pack members.

_Why am I so determined to help this girl I barely know? Did she curse me or something?_

Blake growled to herself, but no answer presented itself; something about the Huntress drew Blake to her. Weiss was... different somehow...

Her reverie was broken when a short whining sound resonated from a panther in the front, the signal that the Hunters were nearby.

. . .

They trudged through the woods as silently as the leaves underfoot would allow - cautious. Twenty-five of them were present now, including all of the new arrivals; they'd even brought along a new terrible weapon-

-grenades.

Of course it was risky to use them, as the humans could be caught in the crossfire as well. Grenades were to be used at the very start of the battle, to scatter the cats and likely maim several of them, send them into a panic and give the Hunters a great advantage.

But Weiss had a plan.

The Hunters came to the proper clearing and took cover, waiting.

Waiting.

_Waiting_…

There was movement up ahead, heavy sounds of paws that could be nothing but Panthers.

The signal was given.

Two grenades were thrown high into the air toward the crouching Panthers. It was more than Weiss had bargained for, but as the rifles started going off, she was sure to aim hers upward. Her bullet hit one of the grenades, causing it to explode uselessly in midair, and she cast her gaze around to seek the other, but to no avail.

_I'm sorry I could only get ride of one…_

She bit her lip hard as she aimed her rifle just as the cats leapt into view, her heart pounding as she sought out a certain pelt, praying Blake wasn't among them…

. . .

**Blake's ears flicked at the sound** of something being tossed through the air.

She couldn't get out a warning in time.

The explosion was deafening, especially to their sensitive ears. One grenade burst in midair, hit by a stray bullet, and thankfully no one was hurt from it. It gave the Panthers enough time to locate the second one. Only a single yowl went up as a piece of shrapnel hit a cat in the flank.

The others charged forward to where the Hunters were lying in wait, some of them going in from the left and right to surround them. Blake hung back as she had the last time, not wanting to see or be part of the bloodshed.

Gunshots started sounding as the Hunters spotted them, but by the lack of yowls and roars they weren't hitting many of them.

Then, the agonized screams went up; Blake's side was the first to take lives in this encounter.

Prowling the edge of the conflict, Blake looked for familiar white hair and blue eyes. She saw the girl she was looking for at the edge of the battle on the Hunters' side. They made eye contact and a silent message passed between them.

_Let's get out of here._

_. . ._

Weiss froze for a moment when she met those familiar golden eyes. Relief flooded through her body when she noticed it really was Blake, and that the Panther was unharmed. There was a silent request in those eyes, and Weiss longed to abide.

But she hissed at the slight pain in her body from the previous fight's wounds. She fired with random precision as she tried to get to Blake, making sure only to hit rears or tails, as shots there would likely startle the cats and send them tearing away through the woods. She also fired shots in front of them to prevent them from advancing into a more dangerous area of the combat.

The Hunters around her would simply think she was having a bit of trouble - understandably, considering her state.

But evidently, the Panthers didn't know of her intentions.

A younger male was crouched beside her now, tail lashing as Weiss tried to ease back toward Blake. She met his eyes and quickly put down her rifle.

"Please, don't-"

But he lunged anyway, leaving her no choice. She picked up her gun again and tried to block him as she tumbled out of the way, but a paw slammed into her side, knocking her awkwardly onto her side. She scrambled to get up, but his weight was already upon her, paws slamming into her shoulders and jaws snapping at her face.

. . .

**Blake dashed forward** without a second thought as she saw a younger cat jump on Weiss, pinning her down and crushing the breath from her body. She rushed into him and knocked him off to one side.

He sprang to his feet and snarled at Blake. Her golden eyes narrowed dangerously as she growled back at him, warning him to leave. She made it seem like this was her kill and he wasn't to interfere.

A tense minute passed before he slowly slinked away, off to find another target.

Blake looked back as Weiss was getting up to her feet, collecting her fallen equipment. The battle raged on around them; the Hunters weren't prepared for such an organized attack from the Panthers and many of them had fallen, more losses than the animals had suffered. Blake met with Weiss' blue eyes as she turned sideways, offering her back in a clear message.

_Get on._

She lowered her upper body so Weiss could easily climb on top of her if she chose to.

. . .

Maybe it was because of the aura they had shared a few days back, but Weiss felt she understood exactly what Blake was conveying to her. She watched as the young Panther that had attacked her dashed off, and knew if he survived; would he report to some other cat that Blake had defended a Hunter's life?

At this point, running was probably the best option for them both.

She was about to turn back to Blake and nod her consent when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Weiss!"

Yang trampled through the bushes just a few yards away, cursing as she tried to shake a bramble off of her pants. The second she saw the million-lien Panther just feet away from Weiss, the blonde raised her rifle.

"Weiss! Get out of the way! _Move it_ before it jumps you!"

Weiss froze in place, facing Yang as she addressed Blake under her breath.

"Just take me. Even if it's with your mouth, just drag me away. I won't move, so she can't shoot you, but you've got to use me as a shield, and you can't do that if I'm on your back."

. . .

**The blonde Huntress had** her gun raised the minute she saw Blake crouched in what looked like a pouncing position. Blake's hackles raised and her fur began to bristle; if she absolutely had to she'd fight, even to the death.

Her enhanced hearing caught Weiss' faint whispered instructions. She didn't want to endanger Weiss, but it was the only way to get them both out of this situation alive. Carefully and quickly, she grabbed Weiss by the collar, holding her in her mouth like a cub.

It got a rise out of the blonde one.

"No! Put her _down!"_ she yelled. The gun's barrel shifted to point down at the dirt instead.

Seizing the moment, Blake charged forward, keeping Weiss in front of her body as they ran past the Huntress before making a sharp turn. Blake ran as fast as she could while carrying the extra weight; even though Weiss wasn't that heavy, the way she was being carried made running difficult.

She heard the other Huntress screaming after them.

The sounds of battle and anguish died away behind them.

She must be crazy. She must be out of her mind. She must _want_ to get killed, either by Weiss if she decided her pelt was worth more than her life, or by the blonde Huntress, or by her own pack. Maybe Weiss really had put her under a curse somehow and made her lose her senses entirely.

She should put her down. She should toss her into the river. She should kill her.

But she didn't.

Blake tightened her grip on the girl in her jaws and ran, and she didn't look back.

* * *

**A/N: Catnapped! Well now these two are just digging their own graves, huh? Sorry if it was a little rushed (it worked in RP form, but I edited and changed it around to make it somewhat more story-like).**

**Please review!**


	3. The Cave

**So now these two are going to have to figure out what to do in the middle of the woods together after running away. Hmm...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. The Cave

**Blake ran until her muscles ached,** until she deemed that they had run far enough away to stop. She crept into the undergrowth, into a bushel of brambles to keep them hidden from plain sight. Gently, she set Weiss down and let go of her collar, shifting back into her human shape as Weiss was turning around.

"Sorry for the bumpy ride. Hopefully you aren't hurt."

. . .

Weiss knew she was going to regret this in the future. She'd seen the look in Yang's eyes as Blake had taken them past her. Yang had been furious at Blake and scared for Weiss, not wanting to see another of her friends hurt or killed by the cats.

Weiss had given her companion an uncertain look, but one that would hopefully allow Yang to know she'd accepted her fate. She wanted Yang to give up hunting after losing more people she cared about, not be full of rage and kill more.

_I'm sorry_…

There was certainly no turning back at this point.

When Weiss was let down onto the ground, she shed her equipment - the satchel she had brought along as well as her rifle; she might need it in the future.

"I'm… fine…" she huffed, turning back to Blake-

First order of business.

She dug into her bag quickly and yanked out one of the changes of clothes she'd packed along that morning under the impression something like this might happen between the two of them. She tossed Blake a pair of black pants and a purple long-sleeved shirt.

"Put these on. I can't… think very clearly otherwise."

Blake really was stunning.

. . .

**Blake was painfully aware** of her state of dress - or rather lack of it - in that moment. It wasn't normally a problem in the pack; everyone was naked when they reverted from their Panther form, so they were used to seeing others without clothes. And even in their human forms, patches of short fur lined and covered the necessary areas.

But Weiss wasn't a Panther so she wasn't used to it - not to mention Blake felt self-conscious around her.

"Err… right. Thanks." Blake accepted the clothes, quickly putting them on. Once she was finished adjusting the shirt, she looked back at Weiss who was trying not to look back at her. "I'm dressed now," she said calmly.

A moment of silence passed by, and the weight and awkwardness of the whole situation finally caught up to her. Her skin felt hot beneath the foreign clothes.

"Um... It's nice to be able to see you again, though I wish it could be under different circumstances..."

. . .

It was a bit of a relief to see Blake clothed, but when Weiss realized they were _her_ clothes she was wearing, it was a bit strange; she looked just like a normal person-

-aside from the ears and tail that remained.

She knew it was possible for them to retract those as well, but Weiss couldn't help a small smile when she saw that Blake left them visible.

"It… It's nice to see you again, too," she said carefully, slowly getting to her feet. She felt no need to be wary of Blake, as the other girl's ears were perked out of curiosity, not flattened out of fear or distrust.

She wanted to get to know her more, too...

But it was then Weiss seemed to truly realize what they'd just done, what this _meant_.

"Oh, god…" She brought her hands to her head and slumped to her knees with a groan.

. . .

**Blake's tail swished back** and forth as Weiss stood up to her height. But not a minute later Weiss slumped to her knees, head in her hands and a groan passing from her lips.

Startled, Blake rushed forward without a second thought, kneeling in front of Weiss and putting her hands on the other girl's shoulders.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Weiss didn't respond right away, and that was when Blake figured out what probably had her upset. She had just abandoned her friends and the life she knew. That blonde Huntress would assume that Weiss was dead and pass that news along to the other Hunters. Weiss would be dead in their eyes, in their world...

It might just be too painful.

Blake's heart sank. They'd really made a huge mistake, hadn't they? One that would put them both in danger and at risk, both from the opposing parties and possibly even their own.

"If you want," she murmured. "You can go back... I'll tear things up enough to look like a fight happened between us, and you can tell them I got away."

. . .

"No…" Weiss sighed. "No… I don't want to go back there. All they'll do is try to brainwash me into killing more… more of your kind…" She shook her head as flashes of her first six kills went through her mind like shooting pains. She never wanted to kill a seventh Panther.

"If… If they find us together, we'll be killed. I'm sure your pack or my people would have the same reactions. They'll call us traitors. I _told_ Yang your pack were Human-borns and not hostile, but no one listens to me… ugh…"

She took a deep breath then, feeling Blake's hands on her shoulders, firm and supportive. She looked up and met honest, melancholy golden eyes.

And Weiss came to a decision.

"Forget it," she huffed. "Forget _them_. We can figure something out together. But for now, we just need to survive until we come to a surefire decision. You can… show me how to live in this forest, and I can give you some pointers as well. I…" She offered a small smile. "I think we can do this, if we're together."

Weiss quickly kicked her rifle away then, taking one of Blake's hands and holding it to her chest over her heart as she bowed her head - a display of the utmost honesty back at home in her village.

"And I _swear_ on my life that I'll never try to take yours again," she said solemnly.

. . .

**Blake nodded slowly.** She knew that everything Weiss said was true. She had attacked one of her own pack members to defend a Hunter; she couldn't go back now either.

"I'll do my best to keep you safe, Weiss. I promise..."

Weiss' hands were small but soft around hers. When she brought Blake's palm to her chest, Blake could feel the slightest pulse beating underneath. It was a nice feeling...

But it was soon followed by a prickle up her spine, some foreboding warning that this wasn't going to work.

But Blake wanted to _make_ it work.

She shook her head for a bit of clarity and looked down into Weiss' eyes.

"So... where would you like to go?"

. . .

Weiss almost sputtered at the comment.

"_Go?_ There are places to _go_ in this forest?" Releasing Blake's hand, she looked around herself slowly. It just looked like a jumble of trees and bushes to her.

But then again, she hadn't lived her entire life here. She didn't know every secret spot of every nook and cranny.

As she went to retrieve her rifle, she tried to think a bit on her answer.

When she did turn back to her companion, she made sure to keep her rifle pointed at the ground; from hereon out she only planned to use it to keep the two of them safe.

"Then… I suppose we should find somewhere to stay the night."

. . .

**Blake smirked a little at Weiss' confusion** \- she should have known that the white-haired girl wouldn't see anywhere to go in the forest.

"All right, somewhere to stay for the night. Give me a second to think."

There were several spots they could go - the biggest worry was finding a location where they wouldn't be found by other Panthers. She went through the list of shelters they could go to, thinking of the areas that surrounded each.

"Okay, I know where we're going." Blake lifted her chin in confidence, taking off her shirt as she spoke. The safest spot for them to go would be the cave the Panther pack had just occupied the previous night. The Panthers wouldn't go back there and the Hunters would never find it; the only concern was fresh drinking water, but that could come later.

. . .

"All right…" Weiss spoke and nodded slowly, relieved Blake had thought of someplace to go, hopefully with some kind of stream nearby.

She noticed that Blake was disrobing, and Weiss turned away for modesty's sake, picking up the clothes and putting them back into her satchel as Blake removed them. While she was putting things away, Weiss checked her supplies; she still had a good amount of ammunition left, along with the knives on her belt and two vials of poison. It would keep them safe for a while, so long as no other soul ever caught wind of their secrets.

Weiss had also squeezed in several pairs of clothes before she'd headed out that morning, and hopefully a clean stream somewhere could provide water to wash things.

Despite how incredibly dangerous all of this felt, Weiss had to admit she was a bit thrilled.

. . .

**Blake took off her pants,** handing them to Weiss without making eye contact with her companion. The black fur covered her skin entirely now as she put her hands to the ground, her fingernails elongating and sharpening. Her muscles and bones grew and shifted to their new places on her panther form.

Once the transformation was complete, she was once again a sleek black panther. She turned around to look at Weiss, finding the girl looking through the bag she had brought with her. A gentle nudge with her nose to the back was how she got Weiss' attention. Her golden eyes looked into deep blue and a moment passed.

_This is the decision I've made. I'll stand by it to my last breath. _

Blake scanned Weiss' face. She wanted to know more about this girl. She lowered her front half to allow Weiss to climb on.

. . .

Weiss got lost in her golden eyes and somehow understood what Blake was telling her.

"Me, too," she murmured. "I'm not going back there no matter what. I always knew that wasn't the life for me. I don't want to kill anymore…"

Securing the bag around her shoulder and putting her equipment into place, she stood just as Blake lowered herself. Carefully, Weiss swung one leg over her broad shoulders, feeling the taut muscles of Blake's body as she straightened up, holding Weiss' weight easily. Weiss leaned forward, hugging her arms around Blake's neck, squeezing her flanks with her legs.

The instant they took off, Weiss experienced something she'd never felt before.

It was… invigorating.

She felt entirely free with Blake to support her like this, so powerful and like nothing could touch her. Her heart pounded, and by the time they came to a halt, she was florid, shaking slightly from the thrill of it all as she dismounted.

"Wow…" she breathed. "I know all you did was run, but… that was amazing."

. . .

**Weiss was so light on Blake's shoulders,** her thin arms wrapped around Blake's neck and her legs squeezing her flanks. Blake's legs pumped as she tore through the undergrowth - she was taking a longer way to the cave to avoid potential onlookers.

The rock outcropping was soon in sight, and Blake slowed down from a sprint to a slow trot before stopping. She lowered her front half again so Weiss could dismount easily. Blake reverted into her human form with a smirk already on her face.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Welcome to... our new home, I guess." Blake gestured to the clearing of rocks around them and the large cave. It didn't slip Blake's attention that Weiss had watched her transformation with rapt attention. She flicked her ears. "Are you... curious about how the transformation works?"

. . .

_Our new home_…

She repeated the words to herself as she took in the sight of the cave. It was carved out in the side of a massive mountain, and she assumed the caverns inside were huge, enough to house an entire pack of Panthers.

It would need some touching-up, and Weiss knew it'd take her a while to get used to it and the rough new lifestyle that awaited her, but if her roommate was Blake, she didn't think it would be so bad.

She dug into her bag and tossed Blake her clothes again as she transformed to her human shape. Weiss put all of her things on the ground and sat cross-legged, inviting Blake to do the same.

"_Am_ I?" she said incredulously. "Of _course_ I am. I mean, I've studied Panthers quite a bit, but I never understood the physics behind it all. How do your bones and muscles just… shrink and expand without causing damage to your human form? Doesn't it hurt? And your stomach - how does that work? Do you need to eat for a panther or a girl?"

What better way to find out than to ask a Panther herself?

. . .

**Blake caught the clothes** Weiss tossed her and put them on quickly. Once she had finished adjusting the shirt sleeves, she sat crossed-legged across from Weiss, the contents of the bag between them.

She thought about the questions carefully. This wasn't something she had ever really thought about in depth - as a kid it had been prohibited, and once she'd grown up it wasn't relevant. Her tail swished back and forth before she answered.

"I don't know specifics, not sure anyone does since just _being_ a Panther is outlawed. There isn't any pain, it's just like a thought - one minute I'm human the next I'm a panther. I don't know how it is for Panther-born, but as a Human-born-Panther, I have to expend some of my aura to hold the panther form. As for food, I eat normally. I have to eat more if I'm a panther, and less if I'm a human."

Blake finished explaining, tail swishing in a little bit of embarrassment. She'd never talked so much about herself before in her life.

. . .

Weiss almost felt she should be taking notes. She leaned forward, listening eagerly to every word Blake spoke, utterly fascinated.

"Wow…" She breathed, sitting back when the girl had finished talking. "That's incredible. Sorry, it's a bit hard for me to digest. Speaking of which…"

She heard a growling, and it wasn't from Blake's mouth, but about a foot lower.

"We should… find some way to get supper, I suppose. How should we do this? I wouldn't want to risk the sound of my rifle giving us away, but I wouldn't want you getting hurt hunting something. Is there perhaps a stream nearby we could fish in? I can start a fire and we can cook the meat. I'll try to give you a meal that's worth your while."

If Blake was basically going to be her protector and companion, it was the least Weiss could do for her, though she fully intended to provide the same security for Blake.

. . .

**Blake could hear a rumbling** coming from Weiss' stomach, and could feel the pangs of hunger herself. She stood up, already preparing herself for a hunt.

"We can't use your rifle. The battle should have been over a while ago for either side, so a rifle firing now would draw suspicions. There's a stream about half a mile away, but I'm lousy at fishing," Blake confessed, holding a hand out to help Weiss up.

"Also, don't worry about something hurting me. The sound of the fighting will have driven away most of the large game. I'll be hunting us some rabbits, so I shouldn't be too long." Blake took her shirt off again, only stopping to look at her companion. "You can come with me and see a panther hunt, or you can stay and make a fire and make this place feel a little more welcoming. Your choice."

. . .

She'd be a fine fool to pass up an opportunity like that.

"I'll come along. I can make the fire quickly when we get back. I just…" She looked down briefly. "I hope I won't be a distraction to you when you hunt. Not to say that I doubt your skills, but I'm not exactly… inconspicuous."

She gestured down at her attire; though it was camouflaged a light brown color, her bright white hair was a bit hard to miss. She didn't want whatever prey to see her and then have it result in giving them away.

As Blake transformed and left her clothes behind, Weiss gathered a few twigs and sticks from the entrance of the cave, putting them into a small pile for later. Once ready, Blake lowered herself for the Huntress, and Weiss left her equipment and bags in the cave, making a lighter carry for Blake.

Weiss hesitated though, just for a moment.

She must be crazy. She can't _really_ be doing this, running off with Blake, finding a place to call 'home' with her in the middle of the forest, planning on how to find dinner, somehow hoping to avoid detection...

_It's impossible. It will never work..._

And yet... she still slipped her arms around Blake's neck, feeling a powerful warmth wafting from her fur as she curled her fingers.

Blake already trusted her. Weiss believed she trusted Blake, too.

"All right," she said, climbing up. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: So this is like a 'they were roommates' AU except, y'know... they're living in a cave... uh...**

**Please review!**


	4. The First Night

**How the heck are these two going to manage living together?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. The First Night

**Blake disrobed and crouched **to let the effortless transformation occur.

When it was complete, she lowered herself so Weiss could climb atop her with ease. Weiss' fingers were cool and soothing as she curled them through Blake's fur.

When the girl gave her consent, Blake started out of the cave at a steady speed.

Her senses were on alert as she moved through the forest carefully. Knowing that she had a passenger was a sensation that was strange, but not unwelcome.

She ran in the opposite direction of where the battle had taken place, just to air on the side of caution. Eventually, she slowed to a stop, her nose raised in the air as she surveyed the area around them. Quietly, she let Weiss off of her back at the edge of a clearing.

She looked at the girl, hoping to convey the message of '_wait here' _before stealthily moving away, disappearing in the darkening forest. From her hiding spot, she could see Weiss starting to fidget in the dark, though thankfully she wasn't making any noise.

Then, Blake's prey meandered into the clearing between them; a rather fat rabbit using the last of the daylight to get more food. Blake tensed all of her muscles, preparing to pounce.

. . .

The ride through the woods was swift and effortless, and Weiss wished she could simply stay like that for the rest of her life, weightless and without a care with Blake supporting her. She loved the feeling of the wind against her face and through her hair, but she had to wonder what it would feel like to have fur, to be running beside Blake instead of pressuring her back.

She was let off at the edge of a clearing, and Weiss sat down in the bushes, making sure to keep hidden. She didn't make a sound, watching the quiet stretch of grass with patience, just able to make out Blake's shape on the other side. They were both hunters in a sense, so Weiss was glad to have the knowledge that she could be on-par with Blake somehow.

But she was nothing compared to the graceful form prowling a dozen yards away, sleek black fur shining in the fading sunlight as she moved toward her prey with deadly silence. Just watching her was breathtaking, every flick of her tail or ears or whiskers somehow elegant.

The leap was the best part though, getting to watch her soar through the air like a shadow. Weiss could see how every muscle in her body moved, see the sheer power and swift, merciful kill. Weiss felt she could watch Blake forever and have almost no regrets in life.

. . .

**Blake leapt through the air,** only the faintest of growls rumbling through her chest to disturb the silence. She landed with her paws on either side of the unaware rabbit, blocking its escape as her jaws closed around its neck. The snap of bone reverberated in her jaw as hot blood flowed from the rabbit's neck into her mouth. It twitched once before growing still.

She trotted over to where she had left Weiss, bending down so her companion could once again retake her spot on Blake's back. After letting the white-haired girl get situated, Blake took up the same pace back to the cave, eager to get home and eat.

The return journey was uneventful, and when they reached the outcropping of rock, Blake let Weiss off again. She held her head out to the other girl, waiting for her to take the rabbit. Blake shifted back and stood up.

"Is that enough, or should I get more for us to eat...?"

. . .

She held out her hands and Blake dropped the rabbit before transforming again. Weiss wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the effortless shape-shift-

-or the stunning beauty of her human form, the form she had been born with. Her panther form was incredibly alluring, but her human form was beautiful, her hair always glowing and fine, her skin hardly even dirty, even after the run through the forest.

Weiss considered the question and looked down at the rabbit. "I'm sure this is more than enough for myself. But I'd think you'd need to eat more, right? Transforming and using so much aura must take its toll on your energy. So please by all means, if you need more, hunt. I'll stay here and get the fire going. I'll cook and give you a meal like you've never tasted before." She felt guilty that Blake had to hunt for two now, and Weiss wanted to repay her in any way she could.

. . .

Blake nodded, not even bothering to put on her clothes this time.

"All right, I'll be back soon... If anything happens, call for me." She transformed back in seconds and set off back into the forest.

The sun had set by now, and it was dark and still in the forest. Blake's fur was the same color as the shadows, and camouflaged her. She prowled through the dark, on alert for the slightest hint of movement or sign of prey. Her thoughts, though, were back with Weiss in the clearing of rocks, her body working on instinct and muscle memory.

_What will we do now? How long can we live in this forest - just the two of us? How long before she changes her mind and wants to go back home...?_

The thoughts raced through her mind as she stalked another rabbit, smaller than the other, but still enough. Without any warning, she jumped and snapped its neck with her powerful jaws.

She had to wonder how easy it would be to do the same to Weiss-

Blake quickly shook her head with a growl, and charged back into the undergrowth.

. . .

As Weiss watched the form of her Panther companion disappear, she had to wonder if Blake would come back. It was less fear of her being killed by another Panther or Hunter. Although that fear was still there, Weiss was more scared that Blake would simply leave her.

"No," she told herself aloud to make it more convincing. "She wouldn't do that. We're the same now..."

She went out into the twilight. The sun was setting, and a cool breeze was starting to creep into the air. She knew not of the beasts that would roam the forest at night, but she hoped the scent of panther was strong enough in this cave to stave off foxes, wolves, and bears. Panthers were, after all, at the top of the food chain of a forest ecosystem. Only other Panthers and human Hunters could best them.

Weiss gathered more branches for the fire, bringing them back to the cave and piling them together before collecting stones to circle around them. She went to her bag and pulled a lighter out of a small side pocket, making sure to be as conservative as possible as she lit a small twig and spread the flame.

She waited for it to catch on all of the sticks, and in the meantime went back outside, using the fading sunlight as a guide. She found bushels of parsley, berries, and other plants, and picked a few, making sure to leave some to grow back.

Returning to the cave, she sat down and took one of her knives, then started to skin the rabbit. She cut the meat into neat pieces before sticking them onto the ends of sharpened branches and positioning them over the flame. She sprinkled the herbs she had come across, grounding the berries into a sort of sauce for a bit of sweetness as she waited for Blake's return.

This was an absolutely ridiculous situation she was in - unheard of. But it was sort of _nice_, and everything was coming naturally to her as if she'd been doing it all her life.

. . .

**The forest was quiet as she** made her way back to the cave; no other sane animal would get in a Panther's way, after all. Even from a distance, Blake's keen eyesight could see the light the fire gave off, and her nose could pick up the scent of soft smoke.

Blake intentionally made her approach louder so she wouldn't startle Weiss who was focused on the task of cooking. When she arrived, she carefully dropped the second rabbit into Weiss' lap.

Blake stretched out her body before transforming again and standing up.

"See? Told you I wouldn't be too long." She picked up her clothes that Weiss had folded for her and started putting them on. Once dressed, Blake sat across from Weiss on the other side of the fire. "So I answered some of your questions. Would you mind answering one of mine?" she asked. "What exactly would make a Hunter want to give up their life of killing Panthers to run away and... live with one?"

The tail that remained in her human form swished, and her ears flicked curiously.

. . .

Weiss waved her hand toward the sticks that already had prepared meat and seasonings on them, inviting Blake to eat first as the Huntress began skinning the second rabbit, cutting more slowly now as the pondered the question.

"Honestly… I never wanted to be a Hunter. My father just decided one day that I needed to start paying him for living at home, and this was the only line of work he would accept. I qualified, and so they accepted me…" She finished cutting the second rabbit, dicing the meat and preparing it in the same way as the first.

But Weiss didn't eat. The memories of the cats she had killed were making her feel sick.

"I… I only killed the ones I had to... I needed to send the pelts back to my father for money. But I _tried_ not to kill them. I only did it when I absolutely had to defend my life. Otherwise, I tried to deter them and keep them away from the fights, or just scare them enough to send them running. I never wanted to…" She shook her head and covered her mouth, drawing in a deep breath as she finally looked up to Blake.

"But… I could tell you were like me. You saved my life without question. I wanted to get away, and I knew if we could stage something like we did, this could work out… But I understand if you hate me. I've killed your kin, after all. If at any point you just want to… leave, or even kill me, I won't mind. Honestly... that might be best for the both of us."

. . .

**Blake picked up one of** the skewers of rabbit meat and started eating. She could hear the emotion in the other girl's voice, could hear the hurt and guilt she felt over the Panthers she had killed.

But when Weiss suggested that Blake might leave or kill her, her pulse shot up. Lunging forward, she took Weiss' hand that held the knife and gripped it tightly.

"I wouldn't-!" she gasped. "I would never leave you, or try to hurt you, Weiss. We're a team now. We... We only have each other..." Her ears went flat, but she kept sincere, unwavering eye contact with Weiss. She kept ahold of Weiss' hand and the knife, and didn't move away.

After all, Blake had already made her decision to stay with Weiss a long time ago.

. . .

She gasped when Blake dropped everything and grabbed her hand. Weiss' immediate fear was that Blake might cut herself somehow.

"B-Blake?!" she cried. "What are you doing, _stop_-!" Weiss longed to struggle, but feared she would cut her companion if she did. Blake's panther form would have been tough enough to sustain a cut from the knife, but her human form was just that - human. Her skin was soft and as easily cut as Weiss' was. She would bleed-

As soon as Weiss made Blake relinquished her hold on the blade, the huntress instantly tossed the knife away, back toward her bag as she clutched her hands over Blake's, inspecting it for blood.

"W-Why would you do that? You nearly made me cut you!" There were tears in her eyes, forced once again to remember how she'd cut other Panthers to death. "You… I don't want to… I'd _never_ do such a thing…"

Weiss took a deep breath, relieved beyond words to find there was no blood on Blake's fingers.

Calming down a bit now, Weiss drew Blake's hands close to her chest and squeezed them _hard_. Her eyes traced up Blake's torso, to the collar of her shirt, up the line of her throat, over her lips and paused at her eyes. "You're damn right we're a team now. We're partners. And that's how we're going to stay, Blake. No matter what."

. . .

**The clatter of the knife** against the ground made Blake's ears flick. Blake wasn't sure if she'd done it as a test for Weiss or what, but the Huntress' reaction had spoken louder than words ever could've.

She really didn't want to hurt Blake, and Blake could tell that sentiment was coming from her heart.

Weiss was clutching Blake's hands to her chest, shaking as tears poured down her face. The Panther girl sat quietly and let her cry, let the her vent her emotions. Blake nodded strongly at Weiss' words, agreeing with everything she said.

"Exactly. We're a team and I'll protect you, Weiss. I know you'll do the same for me, too." She dipped her head shyly, ears flicking as she squeezed Weiss' hands in turn. She could feel Weiss' fingers trembling a little. Blake inched a bit closer to her.

. . .

"Me, too…" she nodded slowly. "I'll protect you, Blake. Against anything and everything. I won't leave you." Slowly, Weiss lifted Blake's left hand to her lips and kissed the healing bullet wound Weiss herself had inflicted a few days ago - both a silent apology and a vow.

Then, she quickly let go, handed her some food, and began eating slowly. The meat was cooked well, and she thought the little seasonings enhanced the taste. But she wasn't sure if this kind of thing was to Blake's liking. Was it too strong for her? Would it make her sick?

Wiping her tears, Weiss looked to her companion who had moved to sit closer beside her, rather than the other side of the fire.

"Um… How's the food? Do you… like it?"

. . .

**Blake blushed slightly** when Weiss kissed the wound on her left hand - unsure of how to react, she sat still. Weiss took the skewer from her and started eating. Blake resumed eating hers as well.

"It's... really good. No one really knew how to cook in our pack. This is delicious."

Silence filled the air, but it was a comfortable silence, one that didn't need to be broken. Blake tossed more fuel onto the fire when it started to get low, the sounds of crackling gradually adding some sound.

"Weiss...? Can I ask... what you saw in me that made you think we were similar?" she asked quietly. Her tail swished again and her chest felt as fuzzy on the inside as it normally was on the outside.

. . .

She finished eating the first skewer of meat and gradually, she and Blake finished off almost all of them. Weiss was undeniably happy when the girl complimented her cooking skills, as Weiss herself thought they were subpar. She was glad she could give Blake something good to eat.

Swallowing the last of her food, Weiss considered the question.

"I'm... really not sure. You just… you were only defending yourself, and so was I. Even after we went down the cliff I… I tried to get up so I could…" She didn't want to say it. "But, even if I had managed to get to you, I don't think I'd have been able to hurt you. Even though I was injured, you didn't take advantage of me. You didn't discriminate or fear for your own wellbeing; you went to help me instantly. So I think you and I are… similar. Our ideals and beliefs. When I looked into your eyes… I saw a bit of myself reflected there."

And Weiss believed it was the same now.

There was a warm feeling in her chest as her gaze was lost in gold. Was she imagining the emotion in Blake's eyes, superimposing it there herself? Or was it what Blake herself was feeling?

Weiss wasn't sure, but she wished more than anything that it was the latter.

. . .

**Blake could only nod.** Weiss was exactly right with everything she said.

Blake had felt the hesitation and need to help others in Weiss when they had talked first. Even now, looking into Weiss' blue eyes, she felt that they were connected on a base level, something that couldn't be faked or lied about. Weiss wasn't like the other Hunters; she truly didn't take joy in killing.

Blake wanted to connect with this girl, share her emotions and herself, but she was afraid that she might only impose her emotions on her. It was how Adam typically worked, and growing up with him, Blake had realized early on she didn't want to inherit that kind of skill from him.

Thoughts of Adam made her nails subconsciously grip into her palms. If he ever found out what she was doing-

"We should go to sleep," she said quickly. "We have some stuff to do tomorrow."

. . .

Weiss quickly looked away, avoiding Blake's eyes. She was just imagining things. There was no way Blake would feel the same warmth toward her. Weiss wasn't even sure what she herself was really feeling.

"You're right… This'll be a bit rough from now on, but we'll manage."

Weiss didn't like the thought of putting out the fire. Sleeping here in this cave wasn't like sleeping in camp where there were guards posted. She had Blake with her and that made her feel better, but she still wanted them both to be as safe as possible, so leaving a torch of flame to lead anyone or anything directly to them wouldn't be the best idea.

She first changed out of her hunting gear and into looser, baggier pants and top before scraping dirt over the fire to extinguish it. The moonlight shining in through the mouth of the cave provided a faint light, and Weiss could make out Blake's form by the position of her shining eyes.

Weiss groped for her bag to locate one last thing. Folded into a tight, compact square was a large, thin sheet. They could search for moss or feathers tomorrow to make beds, but for now this would have to do. She laid it out on the ground and went to Blake in the darkness, finding her hands.

"Come here and lie down. That is, if you don't mind sleeping next to me tonight..."

. . .

**Blake dropped her gaze** to the floor when Weiss looked away. Surely, she had just been projecting her own feelings onto the other girl. Blake didn't even know what exactly those emotions _were_, but she felt a pang at the thought that Weiss' didn't share them.

Blake avoided looking at Weiss when she changed her clothes; something about it felt like a violation, an intrusion that Blake shouldn't make, even though she herself was typically nude.

While Weiss put out the fire, Blake patrolled the edge of the cave to make sure their was nothing nearby. Satisfied, she went back to Weiss as the Huntress laid a thin blanket on the ground. She could feel her heart rate speed up by several beats when Weiss took her hands and suggested that they sleep next to each other.

"I-I don't mind. Though, that blanket doesn't look like it'll provide much protection from the cold ground," she said, carefully choosing her words. "I think I have a better idea." Gently, she separated her hands from Weiss'.

Making quick work of disrobing once again, she transformed into a panther. Quietly, she walked over to the blanket and laid down on it, curling up before looking up at Weiss. Her tail flicked back and forth as she made eye contact with the Huntress.

. . .

Weiss could hear the shifting of material as Blake removed her clothes yet again, and the Huntress feared she might take off into the night somewhere.

But Blake didn't leave her. Weiss could sense her presence had changed, become larger with her form. The outline of a panther came toward her, passed her, and laid down on the blanket, waiting expectantly.

Weiss blinked at her in the shadows, confused for a minute until she put two and two together.

Slowly, she went to Blake and sat down, cautiously leaning her back against the Panther's flank. She turned slightly to one side so she was facing her, and Weiss rested her head on the fur of her shoulder.

The heat wafting from Blake was incredible, and Weiss shivered against her for a few minutes until her lower body temperature had adjusted. A tail curled around her, and Weiss relaxed against her companion's side, loosening up as she got comfortable next to Blake. Her body moved up and down slightly as Blake's massive ribcage expanded with every breath, and Weiss could both feel and hear the reverberations of a strong, slow heartbeat beneath her ear.

It was indescribable, what she was feeling as she rested against Blake, feeling the workings of her body. Absentmindedly, Weiss rubbed a small circle on her belly, nails lightly running through her fur.

"Is this… is this really okay, Blake?"

. . .

**Blake curled her tail around Weiss** as a makeshift blanket when the girl started shivering. She shifted as close to her as possible until Weiss stopped shaking.

A purr started rumbling in her chest like quiet thunder when Weiss started rubbing her belly, fingernails gently running through her fur. The sensation was indescribably relaxing, Weiss' fingers were cool and careful as they continued to scratch.

In her Panther form, she didn't have any way to vocalize her answer to Weiss' question. So Blake curled more tightly around her, partly to keep Weiss warm and partly to show that Blake was more than happy with this arrangement.

. . .

Weiss felt Blake's reaction and was relieved she was all right with their positions. She aimlessly continued to rub her hands over the softer fur of Blake's belly, not even intending to do so consciously.

She froze when she thought she was hearing an earthquake, knowing that being in a cave during such an event could spell certain doom for the both of them. But Weiss quickly realized the rumbling wasn't coming from the earth.

A soft giggle escaped her lips and echoed about the cave when she realized Blake was purring. The moonlight had shifted a bit to splash over the cave floor, making Blake's face clearer to Weiss; her whiskers were twitching happily, ears tall, and the Huntress could feel the tail wrapping around her tightly in encouragement.

With the knowledge that Blake was enjoying this too, Weiss indulged the both of them. She pressed both hands to Blake's side and rubbed, gently at first, and then with a bit more vigor, using her nails to scratch deeply, traveling down further to her belly. The purring only got louder, and Weiss tried to contain her girlish laughter.

. . .

**The giggling laughter that Weiss made** echoed like a bell throughout the cave.

Blake continued to purr louder from Weiss' increased attention. She couldn't help her reactions, whether it was her ears standing straight or her tail unconsciously wrapping tighter around Weiss.

Without thinking, Blake leaned her head over and licked one of Weiss' hands in a sign of approval. Immediately, she regretted her decision and pulled her head away from Weiss, afraid that she had upset the other girl.

_Great. Now I've ruined something that was barely even there... _She wasn't even sure what she had ruined, but she did know that it was probably something she had wanted to protect and see flourish.

. . .

A few moments passed as Weiss continued to scratch Blake's stomach, overjoyed that she was reacting favorably to it. The purring only encouraged her to rub harder and faster, and she heard one of Blake's hind legs kicking up dust behind her in her excitement.

But the second after Blake turned to rasp her tongue over Weiss' hand, the purring stopped instantly, and Blake's entire body went tense, like she was about to bolt out of the cave. Weiss' smile fell from her lips.

"Blake…? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She could see those golden eyes staring back at her, ears flat and fearful. Weiss quickly understood what this was about. "Oh, please. As if I'd be bothered by a little lick."

She didn't like that the light mood had been made heavy. So Weiss pushed her shoulder against Blake's flank, continuing to rub her chest. With a grunt, she braced her legs against the ground and poured every bit of energy into her side until she had successfully rolled Blake over onto her back, exposing her stomach entirely. With better access to the softer fur, Weiss used both hands now to scratch circles all up and down her underside.

"Come on, admit you're liking this._ I_ certainly am."

A day ago, she was shooting at Panthers. And now here she was petting one until she laughed herself silly.

. . .

**Blake released a breath** when Weiss said that she wasn't mad.

Without warning, Blake felt a push against her body, and the next thing she knew, she was on her back. Her natural instinct was to roll back over to protect her throat, but with Weiss' hands working wonders on her belly, Blake all but melted beneath her.

She started to purr uncontrollably, and it only deepened when Weiss said she was enjoying herself; something about the knowledge that the white-haired Huntress was happy made Blake happy too. Her back legs were twitching the air, her tail swishing back and forth.

A day ago, Weiss had tried to kill her. Now she was scratching Blake's belly until she was purring without restraint.

_Honestly... what the heck are we doing...?_

. . .

**Blake's legs started kicking again,** and Weiss' laughter returned tenfold now that she knew the other girl was really enjoying herself. The giggles that echoed throughout the cave were matched only by the purrs, but those were choppy and interrupted by Blake's fast breaths through her muzzle.

She sounded so _happy_, and Weiss couldn't get enough of it. It made her heart soar.

She continued rubbing Blake's belly, scratching in circles and then in long, slow lines, dragging up and down her chest. She went up to Blake's throat and the tip of her chin, then all the way back down to her belly, moving her hands in slow, soothing motions to calm down the excitement.

At last, Weiss collapsed on top of her, stretching her arms out horizontally across Blake's heaving stomach. She was a bit breathless herself after all of that, and she waited for her heart rate to slow, listening to Blake's gradually grow softer as well.

"S… Sorry…" she huffed. "I got a bit… carried away."

. . .

**Without thinking much, **Blake licked Weiss' face, secure this time in the knowledge that it wouldn't upset her. Her whiskers twitched and her ears flicked as if they weren't even under her control anymore.

Purring to let Weiss know that she didn't need to apologize, Blake took a moment to fully calm herself down.

After a beat of silence, Blake rolled over onto her side, careful not to squish Weiss underneath her. Resting her head on the blanket, she felt Weiss start to get comfortable against her flank.

. . .

Weiss let out one last chuckling sigh as Blake got situated properly once more. The Huntress sunk against her side again, pulling her legs up underneath herself to keep warm. She pressed close to Blake's side, stretching her arms out and hugging her broad shoulders as best she could, using her back as a pillow.

"Goodnight, Blake," she murmured. "I… I'm glad we went through with all of this. I know we'll be okay so long as we're together. Thank you… for accepting me…"

She felt an affirmative purr, and a reassuring squeeze of the tail around her waist. She listened to the sounds of Blake's steady breathing as she faded off to sleep.

And that was the first night in a while Weiss wasn't haunted by nightmares.

. . .

**Blake wrapped her tail around Weiss** once more, pulling her close. She purred as Weiss got comfortable, and leaned a little into the embrace.

_Goodnight, Weiss. I'm happy we did this. I'm happy you chose to be with me..._

Blake knew Weiss couldn't hear her, so she gave another long purr. Her tail squeezed around Weiss a little tighter, and she felt her breathing slow down as her consciousness began slipping away. Weiss' hold on her shoulders loosened as she faded off to sleep.

Blake had meant it when she'd said that she was happy Weiss had chosen her, happier than she had been for a long time. Closing her eyes, Blake slept easy.

* * *

**A/N: I had to go back and edit a lot of stuff on this one, mainly some of Blake's parts. Since now we know more about her character I made a lot of changes to her actions and dialogue.**

**Please review!**


	5. The Confession

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. The Confession

When the sunlight stretched out enough to reach the cave the next morning, Weiss blinked her eyes open slowly as her senses came back to her.

There were a few things she noticed right away. For one, she felt warm, but she knew it wasn't her own temperature. There was light snoring, but it wasn't Yang's. There was a slight rise and fall of the surface beneath her torso, and finally, everything came rushing back to her.

Weiss remembered everything calmly, glad she didn't jump or shriek out in confusion; she didn't want Blake thinking she was scared of her. She wasn't.

Tentatively, Weiss rubbed her hands over Blake's shoulders as she slept, humming softly. But a growling stomach was soon to rouse her, and Weiss could feel a hollowness clawing at her own belly as well.

_But first order of business, even before breakfast, is to find water._

Weiss hated to wake her companion, but she wanted to get moving as soon as possible. She reached out to gently run a hand over Blake's muzzle, scratching lightly between her eyes.

"Blake? Good morning," she said softly with a smile.

. . .

**The sunlight that reached** the cave splashed across Blake's face, and her eyes scrunched tighter. She tried to remember why she had fallen asleep in her panther form when she felt a weight pressing against her side.

_That's right. My life completely changed yesterday..._

She felt hands running gently through the fur on her shoulders. Soft humming reached her ears as she felt the rumbling in her stomach.

_We need food and water._

Blake brought her head up to look at Weiss, her heart fluttering when she saw the girl's smiling face. Yawning, Blake stood up, transforming back into a human.

"Good morning, Weiss. How are you?" she asked sleepily before the growling of the huntress' stomach answered her question. "We should see about getting some more food." She stretched her arms up above her head as she yawned again.

. . .

Weiss couldn't look away as Blake morphed once again. She really wasn't sure if the girl's human or cat form was more beautiful. They both were, but in different ways.

She might've preferred this form a bit more, though; Weiss liked having someone to talk to.

"Right." Weiss turned back to her bag, folding up the blanket they had slept on last night. "If we could find a stream around here, I can fill this." She pulled out a canteen from her bag, using the freed space to put the blanket back inside. "It's not very big, but it'll hold us over, at least until we can mold some mud or stone into a bucket of sorts."

She changed out of her comfortable clothes and slipped into her hunting pants and top instead. "If you could take me to a stream, I'll take care of the water, and you can drink. Then perhaps you can go off to catch us something to eat? And maybe we can mark the way to the water for the future. Scratch a few tree trunks here and there?"

She realized she was doing an awful lot of talking. "Sorry if I'm sounding pushy. You'd know better than me what to do in this situation. You'll find I tend to babble."

. . .

**Blake held her hands up** in a placating gesture.

"No need to apologize, I was going to suggest the same thing. Want me to carry anything? I can probably hold more as a panther than you can." She twisted her back to work out the kinks while she spoke. "Anything you want me to try and catch in particular?"

. . .

"No, it's fine," Weiss reassured her. "I'll leave everything here, but the canteen. I'll just fill that up at the stream and then come back here on my own. I'll follow the trail marks you make on the way there. We can meet back here when you've finished your hunt," she decided, securing the canteen into place on her hip.

"Anything you can manage is fine. Don't dwell on it too much - just do whatever you can. We'll make it work, no matter what." She wasn't about to pressure Blake. The menu was probably limited anyway, so she wasn't going to be picky.

Weiss was eager to explore the forest a bit more. She wanted to know what kinds of plants grew where for future reference.

"All right. I'm ready when you are."

. . .

**Blake nodded as she bent over** and transformed into a cat once more. Bending down, she let Weiss clamber onto her back and get comfortable.

Once the other girl was set, Blake took up an easy pace out of the cave and through the forest, heading for the nearest stream. As she ran, Blake would stop every couple dozen yards to claw at a tree, leaving deep gouges in the bark where her claws tore through it.

They reached the stream, a small flow that burbled over rocks. Blake let Weiss off of her back. While Weiss began filling the canteen, Blake drank straight from the stream, lapping water up with her long tongue.

Once she had quenched her thirst, Blake looked to Weiss for assurance that she could go. Weiss nodded, and so Blake took off into the forest in search of breakfast.

. . .

Weiss made a sort of mental map of the direction they took to the stream in addition to Blake's markings. When they arrived at their destination, Weiss was more than satisfied. It was a quiet flow of water, but wide and about shin-deep, allowing for fish to swim there. It would be good for bathing and washing clothes as well, and the water was fairly clear.

Weiss dismounted, and once Blake had drank, the huntress waved her off, watching her companion until the black tip of her tail had vanished.

Then, the girl turned back to the stream, dunking her hands in first and drinking from them, savoring the cold liquid as it trickled down her throat. She drank as much as she needed before unscrewing the lid of her canteen and holding it under, filling it to capacity before fastening it back into place at her hip.

Refreshed now, Weiss stood and turned back in the direction which they had come. With Blake's stride, the journey here had taken about five minutes, so it shouldn't take terribly long for Weiss to reach the cave again if she was quick about it.

Seeking out the first scratched tree to mark her way, she headed off into the forest again.

. . .

**Blake stalked through** the undergrowth of the forest, her belly brushing against the ground as she stalked her prey. A family of small deer was grazing through the grass, unaware of the danger lurking close at hand.

Blake got as close as she dared without alerting her prey, picking which one she would attack. A medium-sized buck caught her eyes - she saw the limp in his legs as he walked and knew he would be easy prey.

Without taking another moment to hesitate, Blake erupted from her hiding spot, landing with her front paws on the deer's side and her jaws closing around his throat. It thrashed underneath her for a moment, trying in vain to escape as its blood flowed into Blake's mouth. Blake sunk her teeth in deeper, wanting to end the animal's suffering. Eventually it grew still underneath her.

There had always been a sense of pride that came with her kills, knowing she had a pack to bring them back to. But now she only had Weiss, and somehow that felt even more special.

. . .

It was a bit difficult for Weiss to stay on track, more so mentally than physically. The marks Blake had made were easy enough to follow, but Weiss kept getting sidetracked by the various plants growing around, making note after note in her mind about which bush grew where.

_More parsley by the third marked tree, and moss on the rocks by the fifth. We can come back later and collect some of that for bedding._

It was too late when she realized she'd neglected to be wary of her surroundings. This _was _a wild forest, after all.

She heard what was hunting her before she saw it, and she froze instantly. But she had left her knives and other weapons back at the cave, thinking she'd be with Blake most of the way and would've been able to get back without her smoothly. Surely she had Blake's panther scent on her and that would deter other predators?

But evidently, her human scent was still strong, and this wolf hand snuffed her out.

It was alone at least, but it was large, a male that probably weighed as much as Weiss herself if not more. She moved slowly once it was clearly in sight before her, bending down to close her fingers over a small rock. With a quick motion, she threw it off into the woods, successfully distracting the animal for a split second.

Hiding would only leave her as a sitting duck, and trying to climb a tree from here would take too long; he'd reach her first.

All she could do was run.

She could hear the snarling and heavy thud of paws behind her instantly, and even at her top speed, she was still weary from hunger, her boots garbage in this gravel in comparison to a wolf's padded paws.

It leapt, barking furiously as it bowled into her from behind, taking her down easily. The impact left her rolling a few feet, but the wolf quickly chased and pounced on her again, claws pinning her down on her back, stomach exposed. Weiss whimpered and screamed and tried to struggle, but the wolf had no sympathy; _she_ was the prey now.

Fangs sank deep into the junction between her shoulder and neck, and Weiss screamed at the top of her lungs as excruciating pain tore through her. The blood was hot and instantly covered her, and the jaws went deeper, shaking her in an effort to tear the chunk of flesh clean off. Weiss kicked and screamed weakly beneath it, and only one word managed to sound past the agonized sobs:

"_BLAKE!_"

. . .

**Blake was dragging the deer** carcass back with her through the forest, moving at a slow methodical pace.

She was almost back to the cave when she heard a scream.

But not just any scream.

Blake's heart sunk as she recognized that voice, clearly able to hear the pain and desperation even from this distance. Dropping their would-be breakfast, Blake tore through the forest as fast as she could, her ears leading her directly to the source.

Soon, she broke through a bush and saw what was happening.

A large wolf had had sunk its fangs into Weiss' shoulder, and Weiss was faded beneath it.

Blake bore her fangs and roared in fury as she leapt at the wolf, knocking it off of Weiss and sending herself and the dog rolling. Its flailing paws did nothing to her at the peak of her rage. She ended up on top and quickly closed her jaws on its throat.

This was no easy prey like the deer though. The wolf thrashed underneath her and knocked her off before she could tear its throat out. It recovered faster than her and circled her, wary of the panther, but too frenzied with bloodlust and hunger to give up a meal.

Blake rolled to her feet as it rushed her, knocking her to the ground with the wolf on top. Before it could snap its jaws into her neck she kicked it with her back legs, tearing its stomach with her long claws.

. . .

A terrifying roar ripped through the air, and somewhere in her gut, she knew it was Blake. The proof came when a heavy impact knocked into the wolf above her, the jaws tearing from her flesh as Blake tackled the beast.

She could hear the sounds of their fight, bestial and raging, each one seething with wrath for different reasons. Weiss could hear the cries of pain, praying they weren't Blake's.

_No... Don't hurt her..._

But Weiss' conscious was fading fast. The amount of blood she'd lost was reaching dangerous levels, and her aura couldn't heal the wound quickly enough. She pressed both hands to her shoulder, still sobbing, and felt several deep punctures from the wolf's teeth, all leaking her lifeblood. Her heart was slamming against her chest, and all she could do was cry.

Her breathing became short and panicked, and a cough interrupted her. She was terrified to taste blood coming up her throat and sputtered on it, gagging in nausea.

_I'd just… When Blake and I had just started living together… Already… like this…_

Her eyelids struggled to stay up, the sky and trees swirled incorrigibly above her, the sounds of the fight spiraling in her head, her entire body pounding with her slowing pulse, hot and sticky and smelling of iron.

_I don't… want to die…_

_. . ._

**Blake ended the wolf's life** with another snap of the jaws around its throat, letting it bleed out and die. Just as quickly as it had started, the fight was over.

Blake panted from the exertion. She couldn't relax though; there was still a major problem at hand.

Reeling, she turned and rushed back to Weiss, and saw the other girl was in critical condition. The wound at her shoulder was massive and she had lost a lot of blood.

_Hang on, hang on-!_

Blake carefully picked Weiss up by the collar, gently taking her back to the cave as quickly as she could. Once they were inside, she laid Weiss on the ground and turned human.

Panic swept through her as she saw the extent of the wound. Blake dropped to her knees and placed her hand against Weiss' shoulder, pouring her aura into the wound. She felt tears sting her eyes and fall down against the back of her hands.

In that moment, she realized what it was she felt for this huntress; what this girl was to Blake.

"Weiss- y-you can't die! I love you! You can't die when we just became a team!"

. . .

Her eyes had closed by the time Blake had reached her, and Weiss could feel herself being lifted up, carried, and laid down again on the cold cave floor.

Everything was pain. It was all she could feel. She tasted blood - it clogged her throat and nose, bubbling as it continued to leak from her wound. She felt light and dizzy, felt the stream of tears running down her cheeks, her neck, mixing with the pool of blood.

She thought she heard a voice calling to her, and she tried to focus on her hearing, to make out what it was saying.

_Blake…?_

She was sharing her aura with Weiss. Again. Without a second thought, Blake was making an effort to save her life. But why? She was just a huntress. She wasn't that important. She wasn't the only one who felt this way about Panthers.

So why would Blake want to keep saving her when she was already so far gone?

The words weren't making sense. She thought she heard a certain phrase, but it wasn't possible. It was her imagination - Weiss knew it.

Blake kept sharing her aura, and Weiss could feel the cool sensation flowing into her, calming the searing heat and pain that throbbed within her. Weiss' chest heaved feebly as her eyes fluttered open.

Blake was hunched over her, golden eyes drowning and distraught as she cried.

_No… don't cry…_

"B... Blake-" Weiss coughed her name, tasting more blood well up in her mouth, choking as she tried to spit it out. Panic coursed through her, and she still feared for her life, more tears slipping down her face as her eyes squeeze shut again.

. . .

**Blake continued to pour her aura** into her wounded companion - the companion she had finally realized her feelings for. The wound had begun to heal very slowly, the flow of blood had stagnated significantly, to Blake's relief.

She wasn't even thinking anymore. She just said what she felt.

"I love you, Weiss. Please... _please_ don't die..."

Her vision was obscured by tears. Her ears pricked when she heard Weiss try to speak, relieved that she was still alive. But the relief was quickly replaced with fear and concern when she heard Weiss coughing on her own blood.

Blake kept her hands on Weiss' shoulder, still concentrating her aura into the injury. Leaning over, she placed her lips over Weiss', sucking out the blood in the other girl's mouth. She couldn't enjoy the soft touch of Weiss' lips; the worry for the girl's life and the coppery taste of blood distracted her from it. Sitting up, she spit the blood out and went down again to repeat the process.

. . .

Weiss felt helpless. Blake was giving her enough aura that she might survive the injury, but now the blood was filling her lungs, drowning her from the inside. Another cough doubled to overlap more, leaving Weiss hacking.

Blake was speaking again, but Weiss couldn't make out the words, ears roaring and pounding as more ironlike taste filled her mouth.

Then, there were soft lips on hers, temporarily stopping Weiss' breath in order to help clear the blood that flooded her mouth. Blake kissed her again and again, and each time Weiss gasped louder - fuller - as her breath came more easily. Her own aura was helping Blake's close the open wounds, and it seemed even the internal ones were starting to heal now.

Weiss clung to her conscious dearly, knowing that blacking out now could mean certain death by choking. She forced her eyes open again, and realized the tears on her face were not hers alone.

_Blake…_

The girl pressed her lips to Weiss' again, extracting the last of the blood. Exhausted and still scared, Weiss closed her eyes again, trying to concentrate on breathing. Subconsciously, one of her hands found its way to Blake's knee, and she held on to keep herself anchored to something of this world.

. . .

**Blake kissed Weiss** over and over again, drawing more blood out of the girl's mouth each time. And each time it seemed Weiss could breathe a little more easily.

The wound had stopped bleeding now,and was starting to heal, and Blake could only hope that any internal bleeding was doing the same.

Weiss opened her eyes, blue meeting gold as Blake pressed another kiss to her lips. Finally, Blake had extracted the last of the blood; she had lost count of how many times she had kissed Weiss to remove it. Looking at the wound, she saw that it was almost fully healed.

_I did it... I saved her..._

There had been plenty of times in the past when she'd failed to save a friend. It was indescribable to have finally done it right.

Blake sat back on her haunches, also able to breathe more easily now that it felt like a weight had been removed from her shoulders. Weiss' hand reached out to her and settled on her knee, holding on with whatever meager strength the girl had.

"You're going to live, Weiss. I'll make sure of it..." Blake laid one of her hands atop Weiss' and gave a small reassuring squeeze.

They sat like that for an indeterminate amount of time. Quietly, Blake lifted Weiss' hand off of her knee, gave it a kiss, and stood up. Grabbing the folded blanket, Blake laid it out on the ground, and carefully she picked Weiss up in her arms and set her down on the soft fabric.

"Try and rest. You're safe. I promise. I'll protect you." Blake leaned down and pressed a kiss to Weiss' forehead.

. . .

Little sobs kept tumbling from her lips, some from relief and some from pain. But many were from frustration, because she couldn't bring herself to speak, to ask Blake to repeat what she'd said before, to ask her why she'd held those last few kisses longer than was necessary.

She panicked when Blake stood and left her, but calmed down once she returned, shifting Weiss onto the soft blanket. Blood still coated Weiss' skin and torn clothing, and the scent was making her stomach flip as nausea crept up her throat. She swallowed it back down, doing her best to slow her rapid heartbeat, to listen to what her companion was saying, let herself believe Blake's words.

She was going to live. She was going to be okay. She was safe…

Weiss could make out that much, but still was unsure of what Blake had said before.

The other girl was telling her to rest, but Weiss shook her head, wincing as an ache shot up the side of her neck.

"N-No… I don't… I'm scared… I don't want to sleep…"

She feared she wouldn't wake up again.

. . .

**Blake just nodded** as Weiss voiced her fears.

"Then just relax. I'm here for you, Weiss."

Blake cupped her hand at one of Weiss' cheeks. She heard the grumbling in her stomach but she ignored it, pushed the clawing hunger to the side.

_I'm not going to leave you, Weiss._

Blake curled her legs underneath her body and sat next to Weiss. The white-haired girl looked so small and fragile like this - Blake only wanted to protect her. Reaching over, she tore a small piece of fabric from the shirt Weiss had given her. She used some of the water they had on the cloth. With slow and gentle strokes, Blake started cleaning the blood off of Weiss, humming as she did so.

. . .

Weiss was glad Blake didn't try to force her to sleep. Her breath whistled through her nose as her chest rose and fell, and at long last, Weiss' airways were completely clear.

She heard Blake's stomach growling, though her own felt too sick to keep anything down now even if she did eat. But she took much solace in the fact that Blake remained by her side, even though the other girl was clearly fatigued and hungry from her battle with the wolf. Weiss knew she was being selfish, but she didn't want Blake to leave.

She watched Blake tear a strip of material from the edge of her shirt, taking the canteen from Weiss' hip to wet it, and then dab the fabric over her face. It was cold, and contrasted the sweat that had beaded on her forehead, and it felt so, so good.

Weiss didn't want to fall asleep, but she let her eyelids fall shut at the sounds of Blake's humming. Her breathing slowed and deepened as Weiss did eventually fall into a light slumber, feeling Blake's aura mixing with hers with every beat of their hearts.

It let her believe she _would_ wake up again.

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter will pick off right from here.**

**Please review!**


	6. The Secret

**Is anyone still reading this lol**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. The Secret

**Blake continued to wipe** Weiss' face and shoulder clean of blood, hoping the cool water was soothing.

Eventually, Blake set the blood-caked cloth to the side. Leaning down, she pressed another kiss to Weiss' forehead. The other girl was slowly starting to fall asleep and Blake was happy to help her get some much-needed rest.

She continued her humming while she ran her fingers through Weiss' hair in slow, calming motions. She could hear the white-haired huntress' breathing deepen as she finally fell asleep.

The cave was now bright with sunlight, Blake judged that it must be getting close to noon. Looking at their pack of supplies, Blake could see that they had a little bit of the rabbit from last night.

_When she wakes up I'll have her eat some more._

. . .

When her conscious came back to her, Weiss was first aware of the dull throbbing all throughout her left side, pulsing up at her shoulder and neck. The events of the morning were still fresh in her mind, but she was more than glad to open her eyes and find Blake still there beside her.

She panted a few times before she could manage to find her voice, raspy as it may be, and speak.

"Blake…"

Weiss propped herself up on her elbows, scrambling until she had sat herself up, her right hand going to her opposite shoulder to apply pressure onto the ache.

"Oh thank goodness... I woke up..."

Her voice broke on a sob and she wrapped her arms around Blake's neck, burying her face into the girl's bare shoulder, covered only by a thin layer of black fur. Weiss clung to her back, fingers curling into her hair as hiccups popped up from her stomach.

"Thank goodness…"

. . .

**Blake had been watching** the cave entrance, on guard for any intruders or threats, when shaking arms wrapped around shoulders. Weiss sobbed into her neck, slender fingers curled into long black hair.

"I'm glad you're all right."

Blake wrapped her arms around Weiss to reciprocate. She let Weiss cry for as long as she needed. Eventually, she gently pulled away to look her over, concern in her golden eyes as she saw how pale Weiss was.

"Do you think you can eat?"

. . .

Weiss inhaled a few more open-mouthed gasps as she breathed in Blake's familiar scent, and all she could feel was relief. She was happy to be alive, she was happy Blake was with her and willingly holding her in return.

She was still for a while, just wanting to feel Blake's body against hers, supporting her, breathing against her.

After a moment, they parted, and Weiss wiped her eyes, inhaling shakily.

"I think if I do it slowly, I can eat," she murmured. "Did you catch anything this morning?" She started to fret as she looked up at Blake, not wanting any of the Panther girl's efforts or energy to have gone to waste on Weiss' account. "I can… start the fire again. There's… still some plants from last night we can use."

. . .

**Blake was unimaginably** happy that Weiss was alive - the fear of her potential death had left Blake drained and dismayed. She'd never felt this strongly about anyone before - not even her own pack mates. Not quite in the same way, anyway.

Blake nodded as she reached over for the rest of the rabbit meat from their dinner, taking the smallest piece and holding it out to Weiss.

"I caught a deer, though I had to leave it behind to come get you," Blake replied before seeing the look in Weiss' eyes. "Hey, I can catch another. You just worry about getting better. I'll start the fire. Just wait here."

Blake stood up to go and start the fire. She set up the branches and plants in the ring of stones Weiss had made the night before. With sparse use of the lighter, Blake got the fire roaring to life. Immediately, the cave was thrown into sharp relief from the dancing flames.

"Do you want to be closer to the fire?" Blake asked.

. . .

Dismay crashed over Weiss as Blake placed the rabbit meat into her lap and went to start the fire. Weiss felt tears drip down onto her thighs as she picked up the meat, fiddling with it in her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Blake. I'm sorry your catch went to waste…" She placed the small square of meat into her mouth and forced herself to swallow it down.

The warmth of the fire was making her realize how much she was still shivering, the terror of her traumatic attack making her entire body feel cold and numb. She _did_ want to be warm, but she didn't want to get any closer to the flames.

"Blake…?" She asked tentatively, looking up as if she were expecting a rejection. "Could you… just for a moment… sit with me again?"

. . .

**"Hey, hey no crying,"** Blake begged softly. "I chose to leave the deer behind to save you. It was my decision, and I would make the same choice again, Weiss." Blake replied firmly, looking the other girl in the eye as she spoke.

Weiss was shivering, a look of worry in her eyes. Blake felt her heart flutter slightly at Weiss' suggestion; she had already sat with her, but knowing that Weiss was conscious and asking made it different.

"And of course I'll sit with you," she replied after a moment, a moment spent trying and failing to calm her increasing heart rate. She took her spot next to Weiss, careful not to jostle the huntress too much. She put one arm around Weiss' shoulders and wrapped her tail around the smaller girl's waist. "Are you warm enough?"

. . .

It felt indescribably better to have Blake beside her again, closer this time, and Weiss released a sigh as she leaned into the girl's side.

"Yes. Thank you, Blake…"

She closed her eyes for a moment, pulling the blanket up to her lap, covering Blake as well. The Panther girl's tail curled around Weiss, and the huntress dared to press closer to her, resting her head sideways on Blake's shoulder, draping an arm across her slim stomach.

Weiss indulged herself in Blake's closeness, adjusting to her warmth until the huntress herself stopped shaking. She listened to Blake's quiet breathing, felt her steady pulse. Once she was reassured this was reality, Weiss pulled away before she could get too comfortable.

"All right. I'm sorry about that. You can go now, Blake. I'm fine."

There was still something she needed to ask Blake, but it could wait until they had refilled their bellies.

. . .

**Blake enjoyed having** Weiss close to her. But she resisted the urge to pull Weiss even closer to her - there was no way Weiss felt the same way about her.

A pang of sadness passed through Blake when Weiss pulled away - Blake knew she had to catch more food, but she had been content like that. Blake thought that she saw something in Weiss' eyes, some question or thought she had not vocalized, but Blake couldn't be sure.

"No need to apologize. Are you sure you'll be fine? I won't be too long, but if you need any help just shout and I'll come running."

Blake fretted internally as she stood up, afraid to leave Weiss alone after what had happened.

. . .

She reluctantly peeled herself away from Blake, knowing she needed to put distance between them before she changed her mind about letting her leave.

She thought it would be better to be alone for a few moments anyway; she needed to think things through, try to sort out her emotions and think of an appropriate way to ask Blake what she needed to know.

"I'll be fine," she promised, watching as Blake moved across the cave, preparing to transform again. "I don't think anything like that will happen, not in here. The cave's covered in panther scent, and the burning from the fire should deter rather than attract other animals from coming in."

Before Blake could head off, Weiss needed to say one last thing.

"Blake? Be careful, okay?"

Weiss found she couldn't bear the thought of Blake not coming back; it struck a deep fear in her like no other.

. . .

**Blake didn't like the** thought of leaving Weiss alone, but they needed food and Blake was the only one in any condition to get it.

Weiss' final request was one that warmed Blake's heart - she had no intention of leaving Weiss behind.

Transforming back into a panther, Blake ran out of the cave, knowing that if she stayed any longer she might not leave. She pelted through the forest as quickly as she could, wanting to make it back as soon as possible. She was on alert for any signs of prey in the area - anything would do for food as long as she could find it soon.

She slowed her pace when she caught the pungent scent of wild pigs, carefully hiding in the tall grass and shadows as she inched her way closer. The boars were rutting in the dirt looking for food and didn't suspect a thing.

. . .

Weiss watched her go, and when she could no longer see the familiar black tip of Blake's tail, she was suddenly very aware of just how alone she was. The fire was crackling nearby, and the wind rustled the leaves to make for a comforting combination, but Weiss couldn't find it within herself to relax. Without Blake, she was just _anxious_.

She stood shakily and went to her bag, disrobing from her bloodied hunting clothes and instead changing into the looser clothes she had slept in the night before. She prepared Blake's set of clothes and brought them back to the fire with her.

Weiss took the blanket and wrapped it around herself, sitting back against the wall of the cave for support, huddled against it as she looked toward the entrance, praying that the only creature to wander through would be Blake.

_Please be safe…_

_. . ._

**Blake leapt from her hiding spot**, pouncing on the unsuspecting pig who would be their meal. It didn't stand a chance; she hit it from the side and knocked it to the ground. She killed the animal quickly as the other pigs scattered.

Blake picked the carcass up in her jaws and started back to the cave as quickly as she could. Her worry for Weiss fueled her journey back, even though she knew Weiss would be all right.

The return was slower due to the extra weight, but the cave was in sight within minutes. She slunk inside and dropped the pig by the fire as she transformed.

"I tried to be quick. Are you all right?" she asked as soon as she could speak, looking Weiss up and down.

. . .

Weiss perked up as she heard rustling outside, but the fear of what it was didn't last long; she could decipher Blake's footfalls by now. Her companion dropped a boar at the front of the cave and Weiss recalled just how hungry she was.

"I'm just fine." She sighed, remembering to breathe, and Blake was unharmed as well. Weiss offered the girl her folded clothes. "My knives are in the bag. I can at least help you skin it. This should be enough to keep us fed for at least another day, so long as we don't let it get too stale. But we'll have to bury the leftovers or get rid of them in the forest somewhere so no other predators are lured here by the scent."

She shuddered at the thought of more wolves.

. . .

**Blake put her clothes on,** having to fiddle with the sleeves so they were comfortable on her. Dragging over the boar, she set it next to Weiss. Grabbing her bag, she pulled out two knives, handing one of them to Weiss.

"I'm glad you're all right," she said quietly, embarrassed at how happy it made her feel in spite of their general situation.

They started skinning the boar. Tt was a large one, so it took a lot of effort. Once they were about halfway done, Blake stood up, putting the knife down and wiping her forehead.

"I'm going to go get some branches so we can spit this, otherwise it'll take forever to cut it up." Blake started taking her shirt off, getting ready to transform again.

. . .

Weiss looked up as Blake stood.

"Okay." Her voice went low, heart sinking at the thought of being left once again. If she hadn't been so gravelly injured a few hours ago, Weiss would insist to go everywhere together with Blake.

But she still needed to think over exactly what she wanted to say to the girl later. Perhaps if she made a mental script of sorts, it would be a bit easier to convey.

"Be careful," she said again with a weak smile as Blake prepared to head out.

. . .

**"I will. I need to come** back, after all," Blake replied with a smile.

She placed her hands to the floor, letting her bones and muscles expand and shift to their new positions. She ran out of the cave - she had no plans to go far, only to the nearest trees.

The first tree she spotted was one with branches that would serve her purpose. Jumping up, Blake clawed her way to the branches at the middle height. Balancing her weight, she started shredding at a branch with her massive claws. The branch eventually snapped off of the tree and fell to the ground with a crash.

Blake jumped down and picked it up in her mouth. As she carried it back, she wondered what was bothering Weiss. Her stronger natural instincts told her the other girl was acting a bit strangely.

_Could she be regretting her decision to stay with me? _

The same old troubling thought resurfaced, and Blake tread quietly back into the cave, dropping the branch at Weiss' side.

. . .

Weiss was convinced she would never _not_ be baffled by seeing Blake transform, making such a fundamentally-complicated act seem so effortless. Weiss had grown up in a life that was based on fact and rationality, so to her, this was undoubtedly magic.

They did all they needed to with the boar, Blake taking care of the meat as Weiss used the leftover herbs from last night to crush into a seasoning of sorts. Once the meat had been diced into small-enough pieces and skewered, they sat side-by-side as they roasted the food by the fire.

The first bite was scrumptious and succulent, and Weiss could taste the full flavors of such a fresh kill. The sprinkle of leaves added a bit of flare to it, and overall, she thought it was much better than the gruel she'd been given back in her Hunter's band.

They ate in silence until they were full, putting the leftovers aside for now. Weiss pulled her canteen out and drank a bit before offering it to Blake as well. When they'd finally finished everything, they sat comfortably back against the cave wall, and Weiss found herself gazing into the flickering flames before them, getting lost in fiery gold.

But there was another gold she sought now.

She needed to speak up. She was lousy when it came to timing, but she just needed to say something; she couldn't keep quiet about this any longer. Her heart started to pound, and she wondered how possible it was that Blake could hear it from here.

"…Blake?"

. . .

**They ate in silence,** which normally Blake had never minded back with her old pack. But for some reason it was nagging at her now with Weiss.

Out of the corner of her eye, she made sure that the other girl was eating. The boar tasted better than anything Blake had ever eaten in the forest before. Her pack didn't exactly have chefs; they typically just ate in their panther forms, and what mattered was the energy it provided, not flavors.

Blake accepted the canteen from Weiss and took a sip, saving most of the water they had left for the huntress. She screwed the cap back on and set it down carefully.

Blake stared into the fire, not sure what to say to her companion, realizing now that Weiss may have heard her confession earlier.

When her name was spoken, Blake's ears flicked.

"Yeah...?"

Glancing over, she saw Weiss looking at her, blue eyes hesitantly meeting her gaze. Blake could tell that Weiss wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her. She swallowed.

"Is something wrong, Weiss?"

. . .

Weiss stiffened when Blake encouraged her to speak, and the huntress suddenly felt she couldn't pull it off anymore. She swallowed hard, feeling as though there were a bone lodged in her throat, although she knew it was just a figment of her imagination. She had planned a bit of an outline of what she'd wanted to say and how she'd wanted to say it.

But as she looked over at Blake now, all of that was instantly forgotten with her next breath. And still, she knew it needed to be addressed, for both their sakes, lest the rest of the time they decided to spend together be laden with an awkward atmosphere.

"I…" Weiss looked away at first, her gaze traveling up over the cave wall before she forced it back to her companion. "I'm not sure I… heard what you said before." She lifted a hand to hold her injured shoulder to indicate what event she was referring to. "I wanted to… be sure…"

The silence that followed was deafening.

. . .

**Blake waited patiently** for Weiss to speak, unsure of what the huntress would say.

The minute Weiss spoke, Blake felt her blood run cold and a knot formed in her stomach.

_She heard me. She heard what I said..._

Silence louder than a gunshot sounded between them. Blake didn't know how to answer without ruining her relationship with Weiss.

"I-I…" Blake stammered, unable to vocalize her errant thoughts properly.

Eventually though, she decided that she needed to tell the truth; it was the only way to have a chance of staying with Weiss.

"I… I said I… I love you."

Words she'd never spoken before in her life; not to anyone in her pack other than her own parents, but even then it hadn't been the same kind of love. This was a foreign kind - a terrifying kind.

Her ears went flat and her tail drooped, but her eyes couldn't look away.

. . .

She jumped a bit and her heart skipped when she heard Blake say it again, clearly this time; there was no mistake about it.

_She said it, she really…_

And Weiss had known it all along. She was certain she'd been smitten with Blake as far back as the first time she'd met her as enemies before tumbling down the cliff. The fact that they longed to heal each other despite their warring species, the fact that they had both abandoned their old friends and lifestyles for one another, the fact that they had risked their lives for one another's sakes so many times within the past few days…

They were kindred spirits, sharing the same beliefs and having the same desires for one another and themselves.

Weiss knew she needed to respond quickly, lest Blake interpret her silence as a rejection. She reached out and took the other girl's hands in hers softly, preventing her from making any attempt at leaving her again. She looked up into Blake's eyes and held her gaze.

"I'm… _really_ glad, Blake. I don't think you understand… how happy I am to hear that… Because I love you, too. A-And I know I shouldn't. I know _we_ shouldn't, but we've come this far and we might as well just go all the way from here. Together."

She leaned forward and embraced Blake tightly, no longer having anything to hide about her affections. She held her for a long moment, feeling the girl's heartbeat and letting Blake feel hers, letting her body convey what her voice couldn't.

_I love you a lot._

When Weiss finally dared to pull away, she met Blake's eyes again and asked cautiously:

"Then… could you… kiss me again?"

. . .

**Blake could feel her own heart** pounding as Weiss leaned in to hug her once again, and from there she could feel Weiss' pulse as well - slow and steady. Blake could sense the sincerity of Weiss' words through her actions, through the steady rhythm of that beat in her chest.

Weiss' words coaxed Blake's ears to lift up once again. They were kind, accepting, tender words. Not the harsh rejection Blake had been foolishly expecting. She almost couldn't believe it...

And then Weiss made her request.

_Kiss her again..._

Blake inhaled slowly.

"Of _course_ I can."

There was nothing else she'd rather do.

Blake brought her hands up to cup Weiss' cheeks and leaned down to capture the girl's lips in a kiss. Without the taste of blood and fear of death, Blake could enjoy it this time, revel in the soft sensation of Weiss' lips, the cool contrast of her skin against Blake's.

. . .

"Mm…" Weiss hummed eagerly as Blake consented to the kiss, and the huntress didn't disappoint.

It started light and chaste, and Weiss positioned her hands on either side of Blake's hips, both to keep the girl close to her and help support herself. Her heart was soaring with elation, disbelief, and excitement all at once.

She then titled her head at a better angle, making the kiss deeper, moving her lips against Blake's. Even her human form was much warmer than a full human's like Weiss, but it felt so _nice_ to have Blake pressed against her, wrapped around her. A tail curled around Weiss' hip and squeezed, and she could feel a warm wetness on her cheeks.

"Blake…" She panted her name like a prayer when they parted. Weiss looked longingly and lovingly up into her eyes before she lightly threw her arms around Blake, rolling them both on top of the blanket.

"Blake!" She chirped again, nuzzling into her collar. If Weiss had been a panther, she'd be purring louder than anything right now as she squeezed the girl beneath her and refused to let go.

. . .

Weiss tilted her head to deepen the kiss, and Blake smiled.

Weiss' hands were on her sides, the touch light and soft in a way Blake had never been touched before. Blake wrapped her tail around Weiss' waist, giving her a squeeze.

Weiss threw her arms around Blake's neck in a light hug as she knocked them back onto the blanket and nuzzled into Blake's collar. Her happy cries of Blake's name made Blake indescribably gleeful; Weiss was hugging her tight with no intention of letting her go.

For the first time she can remember, Blake giggled. She planted kisses everywhere she could reach on Weiss' face.

The stayed like that for a long time, holding each other close together as the fire danced in the background, keeping them both warm. Blake put her hands under Weiss' chin and tilted her head up to look into her eyes.

"I... I can't believe you feel the same way." A thrill went through Blake's chest, and she couldn't stop herself from kissing Weiss again.

. . .

She hummed into the kiss, cradling her hands at the back of Blake's head to ensure the girl didn't hurt herself on the hard cave floor. Her fingers curled through Blake's surprisingly-soft hair and then over the course fur of her ears, scratching the bases with gentle vigor.

Weiss pulled away. "Well, you'd better believe it. And if you can't, I'll have no choice but to keep reminding you." She dipped down again and pecked Blake's cheeks, the bridge of her nose, and then her lips once more. There was a heavy pulse between them, but Weiss couldn't tell whose it was; either way, she felt it in her entire body, strong and excited.

When she needed to replenish her air, Weiss rested her head sideways on Blake's collar, too bashful to look the Panther girl in the eyes right now.

"Blake…"

They stayed that way for a while, and Weiss listened to the rumbling purr in Blake's chest. Only when she was ready did Weiss prop herself up on her forearms on either side of the girl's head and meet her sparkling eyes again.

"There's just… one more thing I want to do."

. . .

**Blake couldn't help the purr** that rumbled through her body. She was just so happy and elated that Weiss cared for her in return.

Living her life with her pack in the forest as she had, constantly running from the Hunters, Blake had never even considered romance. And certainly not like this.

Weiss eventually propped herself on her forearms to look down at Blake, those deep blue eyes staring into her.

"What would you like to do?" Blake asked happily, leaning up to kiss Weiss on the cheek.

. . .

Weiss took a deep breath to prepare herself, nervous at the thought of actually going through with it.

"I just…" She looked away briefly, then back to Blake's eyes directly. "You've shared your aura with me so much already, especially today. And I've only done so little…"

She reached down to find Blake's hand, the one Weiss herself had once shot, and kissed the healing scar; it had almost disappeared by now.

"So… I want to give you more."

With that, Weiss slid her hands over Blake's collar and closed her eyes. She activated her aura and let it begin to flow willingly into Blake. Weiss wanted to share her life force with her; if they were soul mates like they both believed they were, Weiss wanted to prove it.

Weiss waited as she channeled her aura - not to heal, simply to share. She followed her own heartbeat until she found Blake's, willing the stream of energy to trickle there. She concentrated, panting with effort, wanting to give as much of herself to Blake as the Panther girl had shared with her.

. . .

**Blake wasn't sure where** Weiss was going with this. In her mind, the fact that she had healed Weiss was a granted fact - she would always save Weiss.

But when Weiss slid her hands over Blake's chest and began letting her aura flow, panic shot through Blake. Her ears stood on end and sweat beaded on her forehead as she felt a sensation like falling off a cliff again.

"Weiss, stop!" Blake shouted, gently pushing Weiss away enough that her hand lost contact. Immediately, Blake could see the hurt and questioning in Weiss' eyes. With a heavy sigh, Blake pulled her close against her as she started explaining.

"I'm sorry Weiss, but we can't share aura like that... If we do... there's the chance you might become a Panther if too much of my aura goes into your body, and I can't let that happen. It's incredibly dangerous for someone to become a Panther later in life, and I don't want to lose you."

. . .

When Blake pulled her down again and started to explain, Weiss felt she understood. She stopped trying to channel her aura into the girl and was still, listening to Blake's feelings; the only reason she _didn't_ want to share more of their aura was for Weiss' own sake, and that in and of itself spoke volumes about just how deeply Blake cared for her.

"All right…" Weiss whispered, hiding her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." She was scared at the thought of turning, especially if it could result in her death; she knew now that if something happened to her, Blake would be in so much pain alone in life.

"I won't do it anymore, unless it's to heal you. I promise." She held Blake tightly, burrowing into the hollow of her throat and continued to murmur apologies.

. . .

**Blake felt horrible for this.** She _wanted_ to share her aura with Weiss, but she couldn't look past the risk of it.

Weiss' quiet sobs broke Blake's heart. Gently, she started rubbing Weiss' back to soothe her. Blake could feel rather than hear the murmured apologies Weiss said as she nuzzled close.

Blake held her tightly and she circled her arms around Weiss. She pressed kisses everywhere she could reach on Weiss, wanting the girl to feel better about this.

Blake couldn't lie to herself and say she didn't like the idea of Weiss becoming a Panther, but there were too many potential problems and dangers. She was afraid of the risk of turning, afraid of other Panthers discovering she'd once been human, afraid of the humans finding out she'd turned Panther. She didn't want Weiss to suffer the prejudice that Blake had lived with, and most importantly she didn't want Weiss to feel like she had to change in any way for Blake.

Carefully, she tilted Weiss' chin up so she could look at her.

"It's all right. You have nothing to apologize for. I still love you Weiss, even if we can't share aura."

. . .

Blake's warm hands ran all up and down her back, and Weiss soon stopped crying. She knew Blake loved her - there was absolutely no doubt about that. She just wanted Blake to be sure it was the same for her.

"Okay…" Weiss murmured, kissing Blake's collar as her tears began to dry. "Okay. I'm sorry, Blake." She lifted her head, blinking away the last of the water as she smiled affectionately down at her companion. Weiss kissed the Panther girl's lips again, holding it as her hands found the girl's cat ears and scratched.

The heavier atmosphere started to dissipate again into a much lighter and more comfortable one. Before long, they were laughing softly as kisses were placed on every open patch of skin available. The tail around her back tapped Weiss playfully, and the purring started up again.

"I love you, Blake," Weiss reminded her again and again. "I love you." She rested her head once more on Blake's chest, feeling the vibrations of her purr spreading throughout her body. She never wanted to move again.

. . .

**Blake smiled into the kiss**, happy that Weiss was feeling better about the situation. A purr rumbled in her chest when the Huntress started scratching her cat ears, the feeling combined with the kiss nothing short of blissful. Blake wrapped her tail around Weiss' back, playfully poking her.

"I love you too, Weiss," Blake repeated.

The atmosphere around them was loving and caring, the sun had set and now the cave was lit by the dancing light of the fire. Blake looked at Weiss in the light, her pale skin appearing to glow in the ever-shifting light.

_I love this girl. I'll protect her. _Blake kissed Weiss again as she circled her arms and tail a little more protectively around the white-haired girl.

. . .

At last, Weiss pushed herself back up into a sitting position, helping Blake up with her. The day had gone by so quickly, it seemed; so little had happened, and yet so much.

"I guess we can go collect moss and bedding in the morning," she decided. "There's… so much I want to do together tomorrow. I have a lot of things planned out. But…" a yawn interrupted her. "But now that I'm full and… gosh, you're just so warm and soft, Blake. I just want to sleep…" Her injury was throbbing a little bit, and she reached up to rub it.

Weiss moved the blanket again so it was laid down beneath them beside the fire. She shivered in the cool evening breeze even with the flames at her back.

"Blake? Could you… stay in your human form tonight? I just want to…" She reached up to cup Blake's face, brushing their noses together. "I'm a little cold," she confessed. "But I want to hold you, and I can't do that when you're so much bigger than I am."

. . .

**Blake smiled at Weiss'** cute little yawn, exhaustion sweeping through her as well. Blake leaned down and gingerly kissed the wounded shoulder.

She was about to stand up, prepared to transform, when Weiss made her request. A request that made Blake smile almost foolishly wide.

"Of course I can," she replied, settling back down on the blanket next to her. She wrapped her arms around Weiss' shoulders and pulled the girl close. Her tail draped itself over Weiss in a makeshift blanket as Blake positioned them so Weiss was closest to the warmth of the fire.

"Comfortable?"

. . .

Weiss snuggled up to her like an animal seeking shelter. She slipped her arms around Blake's back and squeezed, nuzzling into the other girl's shirt. Weiss shivered until she adjusted to the heat surrounding her, enveloping her in much-needed warmth.

"_Yes_…" she murmured.

She closed her eyes, kissing the hollow of Blake's throat again, breathing against her. The exhaustion of the day's events finally caught up to her, and Weiss whimpered sleepily in Blake's arms. She listened to the choppy purrs and the steady heartbeat beneath her ear. She felt safe.

"Goodnight, Blake," she breathed. "I love you…"

Weiss drifted off slowly, warmly, and more happily than ever before.

. . .

**Blake smiled tiredly** as she started rubbing slow circles up and down her companion's back. Weiss relaxed in her arms, whimpering sleepily as she started drifting off.

The purr started dying down as Blake herself started to succumb to sleep.

"Goodnight, Weiss. I love you," she replied in the same tone of voice.

Blake fell asleep with her arms wrapped tightly around her partner, sleeping more peacefully than she had in her entire life.

* * *

**A/N: So, a reveal that it is possible for full humans to be turned into Panthers, but it's an extremely dangerous process. And does it go both ways?**

**Please review!**


	7. The Warmest Day

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It really does make a difference to review every now and again. If people just stay silent I assume no one is reading or enjoying, so I'll probably lose motivation to continue with the piece.**

**So thanks to everyone who reviewed and spoke up last time, I'm a bit more confident moving forward with this fic!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 7. The Warmest Day

The next morning, Weiss regained consciousness with the sound of a familiar rhythm beneath her ear. When her eyes blinked open, she smiled instantly to find her vision met with the dark purple of Blake's shirt, the onyx curls of her hair. She was still sleeping, ears flicking occasionally.

Weiss was intending to lay there quietly until Blake woke, but a shuffling sound from the entrance of the cave alerted her. The huntress stiffened and peek over Blake's sleeping form, already wary. But it was just a small fox that had wandered in, taking some of their leftovers from last night. Not a threat, but still a bit of a nuisance.

"Hey!" she snapped. The animal looked up quickly before tugging off a chunk of meat and scampering off. Weiss sighed, Blake's hunt having gone a bit to waste. "Ugh. We've got to figure something out to prevent that from happening…" she mumbled.

Her shout had roused Blake, and Weiss quickly leaned down to kiss her nose.

"Sorry. Good morning."

. . .

**The first thing Blake heard** was Weiss shouting, and then the sound of claws clicking against stone. Opening her eyes, Blake saw Weiss sitting up grumbling to herself as she looked at the cave entrance.

"Good morning to you as well," she replied with a smile, kissing Weiss back. "Seems we need to start hiding our food better. Maybe we can hang it up somewhere."

Blake sat up and lazily draped her arms around Weiss' shoulders, still feeling the elation from the previous night. Leaning down, Blake nuzzled Weiss' neck, already purring.

"We've still got some food left, so let's worry about getting water and other necessities for now."

. . .

"You're right." Weiss returned the gesture, bowing her head and nuzzling into Blake's shoulder. "There's a lot to do, but we've got all the time in the world now." And it was so much better now that they'd uncovered their deeper feelings for one another.

Weiss had to stop herself from cuddling Blake too much; if they started doing that now, they'd probably never stop for the entire morning. With regret, Weiss pulled away; they could do such things later after the chores had been taken care of. Their tasks for the day wouldn't take long, after all.

"I'll get breakfast going," she announced. She crossed the cave and inspected whatever meat was untouched, choosing only the promising cuts to bring back and cook. As she sat down beside Blake again, she started listing off what she wanted to do today.

"The weather's clear again, so perhaps we should go down to the stream. We can clean our clothes, bathe, and I'd like to find some rocks where I can sharpen my blades. I want to try and sculpt a bucket of sorts to transport water back here more easily and in larger quantities.

"We can search for big leaves to use for our beds, and also to cover up our water and food. I know where there's a lot of moss growing, so we can take some of that back with us as well. And if we can find a pheasant or turkey wandering the woods, not only would that make for a good meal, but we could use the feathers for bedding as well."

At last, she actually started eating her breakfast. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I just had a lot to think about. We don't have to do everything today." She slid closer to Blake and nudged her affectionately. "We've plenty of time, after all."

. . .

**Blake smiled as Weiss** nuzzled her shoulder - she was just so happy about everything right now.

Blake listened carefully as Weiss went off rambling, and she started eating the piece of meat Weiss had handed her.

"No need to apologize. It's better to have a plan. And you're right, we do have plenty of time," Blake replied with her own affectionate nudge back.

Finishing her breakfast, Blake stood up and stretched, her arms reaching over her head as she worked out the kinks from sleeping.

"Do you want a ride, or would you like to walk there together?"

. . .

"We can walk together," Weiss decided without much thought.

She stood and scraped dirt over the fire to extinguish it before going to her satchel. She left her rifle at the back of the cave, hidden in the shadows, but put all of her knives into their sheaths on the belt of her hunting shirt. In the spare space of the bag, she packed her hunting clothes that were crusted with blood from yesterday as well as the blanket.

Once she had slung it over her shoulder, she went to Blake and took her hand.

"Let's enjoy the forest together."

She led Blake out, heading toward the path they had taken yesterday, following the marks on the tree trunks. The leaves crunched slightly beneath their feet - Blake's bare ones and Weiss' boots.

The huntress would never not be amazed by the fact that Blake didn't bleed walking on all of these pebbles, but she assumed the pads of her feet were naturally toughened, and she didn't seem to mind.

Weiss was a bit jumpy, however, still paranoid after the attack yesterday. She knew Blake would protect her, and now Weiss had her machetes as well, but all she could remember were the fangs sinking into her shoulder.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she squeezed Blake's hand a little tighter, trying to enjoy the soaking sunlight on her skin instead. It was late summer, so the forest was still green and warm and alive.

Before long, she could make out the babbling of water up ahead, and they quickened their pace eagerly.

. . .

**They walked out of the cave** and into the sunlight, their feet crunching on the leaves.

They walked hand-in-hand down the path they had marked the previous day, and soon they were back at the stream. Weiss went to fill up the canteen while Blake knelt down and cupped her hands together to drink straight from the water. After drinking her fill, Blake stood up and looked to Weiss.

"So what on the to-do list would you like to tackle first?"

. . .

Weiss knelt down to fill the canteen and fasten it, then dipped her hands into the stream to drink. The water was clear and cool, and Weiss hummed as it went down her throat and settled.

"I'm going to wash the blanket and my hunting clothes first. I can do yours too, if you'd like. I'll probably wash what I'm wearing now when I bathe and use the blanket as a towel." It might be natural to Blake for her to not wear much clothing most of the time, but Weiss still had her limits.

She went to her satchel and took out her hunting attire, putting the weapons aside for now as she knelt at the bank and began scrubbing the blood and grime out, dunking her clothes into the water until they were clean. She repeated the process with the blanket right afterward. She then stood to sling them over the lower branches of a nearby tree in the sunlight to dry.

Next, she looked to Blake so she may take her companion's clothes and begin to wash them. She turned away as Blake disrobed and began to do the same.

. . .

**Blake started taking off her clothes,** happy that Weiss was looking away as she disrobed. She was used to wearing less clothing, but around Weiss she was more self-conscious about being nude.

Handing the clothes to Weiss, Blake walked a little ways down the stream, looking for an area that was deep enough to bathe in. She found one about ten feet away, a spot where she could sit and even swim a bit if she wanted.

While Weiss washed her clothes, Blake stepped into the deeper end of the water. It was cool and brisk, and the moment it touched her skin, a shiver passed through her body. Blake started washing her hair. Taking a breath, she dunked her head under the water and let every inch of herself be submerged.

. . .

She waited until the sounds of Blake's footsteps got softer with distance. Then, Weiss picked up their clothes and went to the water, dipping her toes in first to test it. It was ten times more frigid to the rest of her body as opposed to just her hands, and Weiss needed to ease herself in.

It took a few moments and probably about a million goosebumps and shudders before she finally submerged herself. She untied her hair from its ponytail, slipping the tie around her wrist before she began to wash it, her tresses staining dark gray with the dampness.

Weiss was sure to rub water all up and down her upper arms, collar, and chest, pinching her nose only once to dunk her face in. She emerged with a loud shivering sound as she shook herself to get the blood flowing through her again.

Then, she started washing hers and Blake's clothes in her lap, using her nails to scrub the materials. She stood briefly just to hang them up to dry before retreating back to the water. Once she'd been in the water for a while, it started to feel warmer, and the strong midday sunlight helped a great deal.

She combed through her wet, stringy hair, enjoying the feeling of getting clean. But she knew she'd enjoy it _much_ more to wrap herself in the warming blanket, perhaps curl up next to Blake in her panther form; her black fur would absorb the sunlight quickly, and her body heat was just naturally higher than Weiss' in that form.

But until then, Weiss parted her lips and began to sing, letting her voice carry down the stream and to Blake's keen ears.

. . .

**Blake could hear Weiss** get into the water, hear the soft splashes as she stepped in. She could feel her face flush at the thought of Weiss so close to her without clothing.

_No, no- I shouldn't think like that... _

Blake splashed some cold water on her face to chide herself.

It was then she heard the soft sound of Weiss' singing - a sound like tinkling crystals. It was a wonderful sound, and Blake immediately lost herself in it, closing her eyes and just enjoying the melody. She never knew Weiss could sing. She wanted to stay here and listen forever...

But eventually, Blake realized she needed to get out of the water. Slowly, she walked over to the bank and stepped out. She tread quietly over to where Weiss and their clothes were. She grabbed the blanket to use as a towel to cover herself.

"I'm done," she called out softly when Weiss had finished singing.

. . .

Weiss had been so immersed in the melody of her song, her eyes closed and lips smiling, that she didn't notice Blake's presence behind her until the other girl spoke up. Weiss jumped slightly, quickly covering her chest out of instinct, even though she was turned away from Blake.

"O-Okay," she mumbled, hugging herself as she remained in the cool flow of the water. "Just dry off then. Once you've finished… perhaps you can hunt us some dinner? Y-You can leave the blanket up to dry again and I'll get out in a few minutes once it's warm."

She hoped she wasn't coming across as too pushy. She was just embarrassed, cheeks cherry-red at the thought of being completely naked in front of her companion.

. . .

**Blake nodded as she turned** away from Weiss, allowing the other girl some privacy. She walked behind a bush and started drying herself off, running the blanket up and down her body to dry more quickly.

Once she was done, she hung the blanket up before putting her hands to the ground and transforming. Her fur was a little wet, but one good whole-body shake did the trick.

She tore off into the forest in search of a future meal. Luckily the stream was the closest source of water for a long way, so animals gathered close by, making Blake's job of hunting infinitely easier.

Within several minutes, she found another family of deer grazing. Unfortunately, they were all healthy, so if Blake missed her initial pounce they would get away before she could recover.

Carefully stalking closer, she leapt from the undergrowth and collided with a young doe, knocking it to the ground where it struggled as she clamped her jaws around its throat. It died quickly and Blake started dragging it back to the stream, hoping that Weiss was ready.

. . .

Once Blake had shifted and trotted off into the forest, Weiss waited a few more moments in the water. There was no other activity around her aside from the small birds and squirrels that darted about - no danger.

When she thought the blanket would be dry, Weiss stood and pulled it down, wrapping it around herself. The heat that had absorbed into the fabrics now pressed directly onto her skin, and she shivered as she fastened it around her body. She wrung out her hair, moving it to the front of one shoulder so the sunlight could hit the back of her neck.

She turned when she heard Blake's unmistakable pawsteps, and saw her companion was dragging a deer behind her. Weiss went to her and pet her between the ears.

"Perfect! You're so skilled as a hunter. You always bring us top-notch kills." She ran her hands down to the underside of Blake's chin and scratched generously. She wrapped her arms around Blake briefly to welcome her return, feeling the natural warmth wafting from her.

Then, Weiss shuddered again, hugging the blanket closer to her wet skin. "S-Sorry to ask after you've just gone off and hunted… b-but may we…?" She trailed off, face flushed pink.

She could really use some warming up right now.

. . .

**Blake purred in contentment** as Weiss praised her and scratched underneath her chin. Weiss' arms wrapped around her neck in a hug, and Blake stepped in closer to her.

She understood Weiss' request immediately, and her purr became a bit louder at how cute Weiss was being about asking. Blake just slowly nodded her head as best she could before walking over to a clear spot on the ground.

Lazily, she laid down with space for Weiss to curl against her side. She looked up expectantly at her companion and flicked her tail.

. . .

Blake padded not far from her kill before laying down, exposing her side and silently inviting Weiss to join her. Weiss eagerly obliged.

"Thank you…" She bit her trembling lip as she scurried over, keeping the blanket tight around her as she sat in the grass beside Blake. The huntress leaned back against her companion, fitting snugly between the large muscles of her front and hind leg. Blake even went so far as to pull herself into a circle, tail securing the girl in place as the panther's head tucked Weiss snugly into her side.

Weiss could feel the purrs rumbling strongly and fully, and she brought her arms around Blake's neck again as she leaned back against her flank. There was so much warmth surrounding her now, and she couldn't suppress a loud sigh.

"Ah, thank you..." She ruffled the side of Blake's neck with her forehead, burying her face in soft fur. "You're so good to me, Blake." Weiss kissed an ear, stroking her hands slowly all up and down the panther's shoulders, back, and then to her head once more. "I love you, Blake. So much it hurts."

She knew Blake felt the same. And it was a damn good feeling.

. . .

**Blake curled herself around Weiss,** draping her tail over the white-haired girl. She used her head to make sure Weiss was comfortable against her side. Her purring was strong and rumbled through her body as Weiss wrapped her arms Blake's neck.

Blake appreciated all of the touches and attention. She just wished she could reciprocate as a human, but for now this was more than enough for both of them.

The biggest problem with her panther form was her inability to speak while in it. Blake could only lean her head over and lick Weiss' face gently to show that she felt the same way.

They lay in the sun like that for a while, just relaxing as Weiss dried off and Blake just enjoyed her closeness and her scent.

. . .

Small sounds of content kept slipping past Weiss' lips as she rested her chin atop Blake's head and kept her close, feeling the vibrations of the purrs traveling through both their bodies.

She was so comfortable and warm, Weiss feared she'd never move again.

And honestly, she didn't really have to. Not for a while, anyway.

Just for a little while today, she and Blake decided to indulge in the liberties that came alongside abandoning their pasts. Instead of fighting and hurting, they spent the afternoon happy and safe.

They could only hope it would stay this way.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! It was either split this chapter and the next, or have one massive chapter with too much going on, and I didn't have a lot of time to edit this week, so I went with splitting them! Blake and Weiss deserve a nice happy chapter.**

**Please review!**


	8. The Truth

**Fluff and angst, anyone?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 8. The Truth

Weiss and Blake dozed together for a while in the woods as Weiss let her long hair dry off. Only when she felt Blake's fur really heating up under the sunlight and prickling her skin did she finally pull away.

"We should get going. Wouldn't want to have wasted another of your kills. Just let me change and sharpen my knives. I've got an idea of what to do for transporting water, but I'll have to do it later once I've collected more supplies."

Once she'd changed, Weiss folded their blanket and other clothes into the bag before she pulled out her knives, bringing them over to a large, smooth bolder beside the river. She ran the blades along the hard surface to sharpen them, testing the points with her fingertips until she was satisfied.

. . .

**A discontented yowling sound** passed her jaws as she felt Weiss get up, disrupting the tranquil moment, even though Blake knew they needed to move. Lazily, she got up again and stretched out as she waited for Weiss to grab her clothes and sharpen her knives.

The sun was high in the sky at this point and was radiating heat. Blake could feel her black fur absorbing it .

After a while, Weiss returned dressed and with knives in their respective sheathes, checking to see if Blake was ready to go. Blake just walked over to her and bumped her head gently against the other girl, the purr finally starting to quiet down as she gave Weiss' hand another gentle lick.

She bent over to let Weiss climb on top of her, hoping the girl wouldn't mind how warm Blake's fur was now that she had been basking in the sun. Once Weiss was secure, Blake picked up the deer in her jaws and started walking through the forest back to the cave.

. . .

They moved slowly through the forest, Weiss patting the panther beneath her with encouragement. She felt bad that Blake needed to carry their meal, Weiss herself, and all of their equipment in this heat.

Weiss knew sharing her aura with Blake would only make her upset, so she decided against that. Instead, she drizzled a bit of their water onto her hand and rubbed it over Blake's head and the back of her neck and shoulders, murmuring to her that there was no need to rush or strain herself.

Once they had come about halfway back, Weiss requested that Blake pause. Dismounting, the Huntress went to where several large rocks sat in the shade, coated in green moss. She peeled off chunks and rolled them up into the blanket before stuffing it back into her bag and going back to Blake.

"All right," she grunted, mounting again. "That should be enough for now. Let's get back."

. . .

**When Weiss started r**ubbing her head, neck and shoulders with a small amount of water to keep her cool, Blake purred a little harder. The water felt refreshing and cool, and Blake greatly appreciated the thought.

Blake stopped when Weiss requested a pause, which Blake was more than happy to agree to. Leaning down, she let Weiss off of her back to go collect some of the thick green moss that grew on the rocks. Returning with the blanket rolled up with moss, Weiss remounted Blake, telling her it was okay to continue.

Luckily, they were close to the cave at that point and the journey was short. Soon, Blake's claws were clacking against hard stone. Dropping the deer, she let Weiss off before transforming.

"That was quite the workout," she joked as she put her clothes back on.

. . .

"I'm sure it was," Weiss sympathized. "But don't worry, because tonight we're going to sleep like queens! Well… queens who live alone in a cave together," she chuckled.

She deposited her bag and began skinning the deer, putting the cuts of meat into piles.

"I'll just be right outside," she announced quickly before jogging out.

Weiss wandered not far into the forest to collect sticks for more skewers, but there was something else she was looking for. She found them in a nearby grove - large, elephant-ear plants growing in thick bushels. She tugged out a few before returning to the cave.

"It won't mask the scent of the meat, but at least it'll keep flies away from our leftovers," she explained, covering the section of untouched hide.

She left Blake to skewer the cubes of meat, and in the meantime, Weiss took the leftover leaves and crossed her legs. With great care and concentration, she began weaving the stems together, tightening them into a certain shape to keep them secure.

It was a while before she'd finished, but when she had, the result was a makeshift bucket, no holes or breaks visible to allow any leaks.

"There! This should make things a bit easier from now on."

. . .

**Blake watched curiously** as Weiss returned with sticks and large leaves, explaining what she was using them for.

"That's a smart idea," Blake praised as she started skewering the deer meat. Weiss started working on something else, and once Blake was finished with her job, she sat next to her companion to watch her progress. "That will make things easier. We never used anything like that back in my pack. I'm so lucky to have you to help," she purred as she draped an arm over Weiss' shoulder and kissed her cheek.

. . .

"You flatterer," Weiss smiled, nuzzling into the girl's cheek. "It's the least I can do after you've gotten us food these past few days. Not to mention saving my life," she added with an extra kiss.

They munched on some of the meat, using more of the parsley and berries they'd collected previously.

The lazy days thus far had been fairly peaceful after the wolf attack, but it was even more so now that they had clearly confessed and understood their feelings for one another. Weiss wasn't afraid to lean sideways onto Blake's shoulder, slipping an arm around her back as they ate, running her fingers over the fabrics of her shirt and through her hair.

An idea struck the heiress. Perhaps there was one other thing Weiss could do for Blake in return.

Once they'd finished their food, Weiss went over to the satchel to locate what she was looking for. In one of the smaller side pockets was a folding hair brush, and she went back to Blake and settled behind her, petting through her hair with one hand as she ran the brush gently with the other.

"I'll bet this is a small luxury you've never had before, hm?" she guessed, being mindful of the girl's ears.

. . .

**Blake enjoyed the fresh meat,** tail swishing in delight at the enhanced flavors of the spices they'd collected.

Her ears perked up as she watched Weiss rummage through her bag. Coming back, the white-haired girl had a brush in hand. She settled behind Blake and started to brush her hair carefully. Blake's tail swished again.

"You're right... I haven't had my hair brushed since I was a kid." Blake sighed happily as she felt the knots worked out of her hair. She relaxed as Weiss worked, humming softly at the attention. She'd forgotten what it felt like long ago to have someone else care for her so tenderly.

. . .

Weiss kept noticing the little ways Blake's ears flicked, her tail curling up in delight with every stroke of the brush. She started at the ends of Blake's hair and slowly worked her way up, doing her best not to tug a single strand out, using her other hand to press against the rest of her hair to minimize the slight pricking sensation.

Weiss began to sing again softly as she lost herself in her task, following the natural waves of Blake's hair. She was careful when she reached the girl's scalp, taking care to be gentle around her ears. Blake was purring again, and Weiss giggled.

The huntress continued brushing until there wasn't a single knot in Blake's onyx hair, but even then, she combed through it a few more times just to allow Blake that soothing feeling of the bristles lightly massaging her shoulders and back.

When she'd finished, Weiss leaned into Blake's back, slipping her arms around her stomach and resting her chin atop her shoulder, kissing her cheek briefly. "Now if you'd be so kind as to transform, I can make it worth your while."

. . .

**Blake felt warm and fuzzy** more on the inside than she normally did on the outside as Weiss continued brushing her hair for her. A purr rumbled up in her chest again and she closed her eyes in leisure.

After a while, Blake could feel that all the knots had been worked out, but still Weiss continued with the relaxing brush strokes. Eventually, she stopped and leaned forward against Blake, wrapping arms around her as she kissed Blake's cheek.

"Oh, okay. Sure." Blake mumbled, a little embarrassed by so much attention. Standing, up she slowly removed her clothes, throwing them to the side before putting her hands to the ground and transforming. As a panther she stood up uncertainly, not sure what her partner wanted from her.

. . .

"All right." Weiss raised herself up onto her knees. "Just stay like this for now," she encouraged. Reaching out, she pet her free hand through Blake's fur at her head, using the brush in the other. "Close your eyes a moment."

She began at Blake's face, between her eyes, then the sides of her face, making sure to keep the strokes light. Then, as she moved down a bit, she added a bit more pressure to let the bristles dig through the thick fur entirely. She went over Blake's shoulders, smoothing out her coat until it shone.

Weiss had always known Blake's pelt was the finest of any Panther she'd ever seen, and now she got to make it so.

She worked in short strokes first, occasionally pausing to remove the excess fur from the brush before continuing. She pulled the brush between Blake's shoulder blades, then all down her back, over her sides and hind legs. The process took a while, but Weiss didn't mind; Blake kept purring, tail flicking and whiskers twitching with delight.

Once Weiss was satisfied that there wasn't a bur or a clump in that fine, course fur, she sat back to clean the brush again.

"There. Now lie on your side, okay?"

. . .

**Blake complied with** Weiss' request and closed her eyes, knowing what would come next. She couldn't suppress the purr that rumbled through her chest; her whiskers twitched and her tail flicked to and fro.

She was in heaven. She was certain of it.

Listening to Weiss again, Blake slowly laid down on her side, resting against the cool stone floor. The brush reached her soft belly fur and Weiss continued with soothing strokes.

Blake's purr only grew louder; this was pure bliss. Better than heaven.

Blake leaned up and nuzzled against Weiss' hand - she was so happy that she had met the white-haired huntress. Giving her hand a quick lick, Blake laid back down on the ground so Weiss could finish brushing her.

. . .

Weiss couldn't help but giggle when Blake's leg started kicking, the clearest display of her euphoria. The tail kept smacking against the ground, ears trembling, and Blake opened up her forepaws to give Weiss better access. The Huntress brushed down her throat, over her chest, then down her belly again, making sure not to miss a single spot.

She knew Blake's black fur took in more heat in this summer weather, so Weiss was sure to help her shed what she didn't need to lighten the load. She used her nails as well, tracing circles wherever she could get at.

All in all, Weiss went on for probably half an hour, just making sure Blake was enjoying herself, purrs _filling_ the air of the cave and echoing.

Only when her arms started to hurt did Weiss finally stop, cleaning the brush before combing through her own hair. Blake continued to lie there, purring contentedly. Weiss crawled over her companion and pressed a kiss to her warm chest.

"I'm glad I could take care of you like this."

. . .

**Blake couldn't help the purr** that vibrated in her body and just echoed throughout the cave. Weiss' nails worked with the brush to remove any excess fur that clung to Blake's coat.

She lost track of how long it lasted - the entire process was just too relaxing for her to care about time.

Eventually though, Weiss stopped, and Blake opened one eye to see her brush her own hair before crawling over to rest on Blake's flank. Sitting up, Blake curled around Weiss, draping her tail over the girl again.

Blake gently bumped her head against Weiss', still purring the entire time. She started licking the girl's face, her tongue lightly rasping over Weiss' cheeks.

. . .

Weiss welcomed the soft, sturdy support as Blake pulled her close. The hearty purrs were like a massage to her sore back and aching shoulder, and Weiss leaned her head back to rest on the panther's spine. She felt a sandpaper tongue lapping over her cheeks and neck, laughing aloud at the evident display of affection.

This was like heaven. Weiss prayed the rest of their days could be this simple and easy and warm.

But winter was coming, and she knew only hardships awaited.

If only she knew at the time to what _extent_.

Presently, she stretched her arms above her head until she heard a satisfying pop. Then, she patted Blake's side, a silent request to let her up.

"All right, come back and talk to me," Weiss said. "I want to tell you some things. It's… about time."

Weiss went to the bag and pulled out their blanket, gathering the moss into her arms and spreading it on the ground a few feet away from the fire to make their beds.

. . .

**Blake felt Weiss pet her side,** asking to be let up. Blake watched her stand and go to her bag and start setting up the moss and blanket.

Transforming back into a human, Blake stood up and grabbed her clothes from the spot she had thrown them. Once she had her shirt and pants on and comfortably adjusted, she walked over to the fire and waited for Weiss to finish what she was doing.

"So... what did you want to tell me?" she asked as she sat down on the blanket, the moss making their bed more comfortable. She patted the spot next to her in an invitation for Weiss to sit down.

. . .

Weiss was hesitant as Blake encouraged her over; with the thoughts that were on her mind, she wasn't sure how she should go about this.

She was cautious as she went to the fireside and crossed her legs, staring into the flames, maintaining a foot or so of distance between herself and Blake. She wanted to be close to her, but wasn't sure if Blake would want the same with what Weiss was about to tell her. She took a deep, deep breath.

"I just… want to come clean about some things… about my job as a Huntress...

My first hunt was more of a raid. Our group went into a cave where there were several mothers keeping their young. Among the chaos, I was shoved inside the cave and told to kill some of the cubs, because they were easy targets for a beginner like me...

But they were so helpless, and I just _couldn't_… It got to the point where some of the men were shouting they'd shoot me if I didn't do it, and I… I killed two of those babies…"

She refused to look at Blake, scared to see her reaction as Weiss went on.

She told about the other four full-grown Panthers she had killed after that, one having been the enraged, grieving mother of the cubs. She'd shot her in the chest right as the Panther had leapt on top of her, giving Weiss her scar, a constant reminder of the terrible murders she'd committed that night.

She told of how she had begged to quit hunting, but her father and troop leader refused, as she was under contract - a prisoner. She told Blake of how her other three kills had been in self-defense, but all of them just as gut-wrenching as the ones before.

When she'd finished at last, Weiss was sobbing into her hands, her heart pounding fearfully in her throat, not even sure if Blake was still there or not.

"I just… I didn't want to hide anything from you anymore. I wanted you to know about… the murderer I truly am… Because I don't want you to be with me without knowing my crimes. I can't let you… keep only the good things…_ I'm so sorry._.."

. . .

**Blake listened quietly,** solemnly, giving the white-haired Huntress her undivided attention. Her companion's words started slow, telling the tale of the first hunt she took part in.

Blake had known that they would have to talk about this at some point, and so she listened unflinchingly.

Weiss' head dropped as she continued to speak, her words coming faster as she confessed her past. Tears started sliding down Weiss' face as she finished her story, stammering out her final apology to Blake with eyes still downcast.

For a moment, the cave was quiet except for the sounds of sobbing.

Standing quietly, Blake sat down next to Weiss and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, sad when Weiss flinched at her touch. Blake cradled Weiss' head against her chest, gently pressing a kiss to the top of the girl's head.

"That's the past. It's over. We're here now and I forgive you. I forgive you and love you Weiss, so no more tears." Blake kissed her cheek, conveying the sincerity of her words as best she could.

. . .

She couldn't help but flinch when Blake touched her; Weiss had been expecting to be struck or screamed at. But she should've known better.

Blake pulled her in gently, holding Weiss in her arms and stroking through her hair. Her embrace was the clearest manifestation of forgiveness itself, calm and accepting, even after the horrible things Weiss had just confessed to her. She swallowed thickly, breath hitching in her throat as she wailed into Blake's shirt.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Blake…"

It was a while before the nightmarish images went away, and Weiss had to remind herself to breathe, taking in Blake's comforting, familiar scent. When she'd finally stopped shaking so much, she sat up, lifting Blake's hands up to her face. She inhaled slowly:

"This…" she pressed her lips to each of Blake's wrists, holding the kisses, feeling Blake's pulse. "Is for the two cubs I killed…"

Weiss then cupped her clammy palms to either side of Blake's face, kissing her forehead, then each cheek, apologizing for three more of the lives she had taken. She kissed her nose and between her eyes. For the last one, she went in to Blake's lips, letting out a soft sob as she pulled away.

"I'll never… kill again, Blake._ I promise_…"

. . .

**Blake continued to hold** Weiss close to her, lightly stroking the Huntress' hair.

They sat like that for a long time, Weiss cried into Blake's shirt and Blake let her, holding the girl gently in her arms.

Eventually, Weiss quieted and began peppering kisses onto Blake's skin. Blake remained still all the while.

After the final kiss was placed against Blake's lips, Weiss sobbed as she made her promise. Wrapping her arms around Weiss' shoulders again, Blake pulled her close, telling her that everything was all right.

"I hope you never have to," she murmured.

. . .

Weiss whimpered into her shoulder.

"Yeah… me, too. I don't want to kill ever again… Thank you, Blake. Meeting you has changed me."

She didn't need fear and hatred anymore. She had Blake's love, something no one else - not even her own father - had ever given her. She'd confessed her guilt, and it felt indescribably wonderful to have nothing left to hide.

When the tears finally stopped, she and Blake shared a few more kisses, murmuring soft words against even softer lips for a time as the fire crackled melodically behind them.

Then, the Huntress laid them both down on their sides, hiding her face in Blake's chest.

"Let's sleep for now..."

Hopefully all the bad things would finally leave her tonight.

. . .

**The fire danced in the** background, though they were too focused on each other to pay it any mind.

Blake was happy that Weiss had confessed her past. Blake had always known she would forgive the other girl, but the fact that Weiss had freely told her made it better.

Weiss laid them on their sides, burying her face in Blake's chest. She kept apologizing, the words muffled by Blake's shirt.

"You don't need to apologize anymore, Weiss. I forgive you," Blake quietly reassured, kissing her head to comfort her partner. "Rest. I'm here for you."

Blake stroked Weiss' hair and back. She held her close, feeling the girl's back rise and fall with each breath until they took an even rhythm when Weiss fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: From the beginning of when we started writing this, I'd known that I hadn't wanted Weiss to be a Huntress by choice. At the time we originally wrote this, we weren't sure if her father would be a nice guy or a bad guy, but we went with bad, and boy were we right.**

**Please review!**


	9. The Confrontation

**All of your reviews show that you all know it has to go down eventually - and you're all correct.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 9. The Confrontation

Weiss felt better when she woke the next morning.

Perhaps it was because Blake was curled up around her - that always made her feel better. Perhaps it was the calmness of the early morning, misty colors seeping into the cave, indicating a slight drizzle. Perhaps it was the fire keeping her back warm-

-or perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't had a single nightmare.

She felt liberated after having confessed her past crimes to Blake, an the Panther girl had forgiven her, accepted Weiss for everything she was, accepted her flaws and her crimes.

She loved Blake so much.

Weiss squeezed the girl's midsection, brushing her nose into the top of Blake's shirt collar, holding a long kiss to her chest as she continued to sleep peacefully.

. . .

**The first thing Blake felt** when she awoke was the closeness of Weiss.

She kept her eyes closed and breathed evenly. The other girl's arms tightened around her waist in a tight hug, a kiss pressed to her chest. Blake began to purr.

She loved Weiss. She didn't see Blake as a Panther; she saw her as a person, and she loved Blake for who she was.

Blake tightened her hold on Weiss and turned them so she was above her, looking down on the white-haired girl.

"Good morning, my little Huntress," Blake teased, kissing Weiss' nose. Blake's hands were on either side of Weiss' head as she straddled the smaller girl. "I think I'm a little hungry this morning," she whispered before leaning down to kiss Weiss. She was happy that she could live her life with Weiss from now on, happy she was hers and hers alone.

. . .

A surprised but not-at-all-protesting squeak left her lips as she was flipped over onto her back. The soft moss beneath supported her comfortably, and Blake's weight pressed snugly into her. She loved this closeness, the proof that nothing could ever come between them.

When Blake leaned in for another kiss, Weiss happily obliged, staying still as the Panther girl braced herself over her. Even with her eyes closed, Weiss could imagine Blake's tail flicking to and fro, ears perked tall. Their hearts pounded quickly against each other's, and Weiss did her best to hold out longer.

When they finally parted, she hugged Blake's shoulders, letting her rest her head on her chest as they both regained their breath.

"I could get used to this…" the Huntress murmured.

A few moments later, growling stomachs alerted them to the leftovers from last night that had been covered by leaves to keep as fresh as possible.

"Come on, we should get up an eat," Weiss said, patting the girl's shoulder.

. . .

**Blake sat up,** pulling Weiss up with her so she could hold the girl a little longer.

"I'll get the food," Blake said, kissing her on the cheek before standing up and walking over to the leftover meat. Grabbing a handful, Blake turned around and sat down next to her partner, holding the food between them.

"How did you sleep?" Blake asked, popping a piece of meat into her mouth after she spoke.

. . .

She nodded her thanks, accepting the food from Blake before she started to roast it over the small fire.

"I slept… wonderfully. I've never felt so refreshed, and I've slept on an actual bed before." She leaned into Blake's side as she started to nibble her food. "I know it's because of what I told you last night. Thank you… for forgiving me."

She slipped an arm around Blake's waist, rubbing gently as they continued to eat. Whenever the Panther girl's tail came within range, Weiss curled her fingers over the tip, smoothing the fur.

Once they'd finished, Weiss stood and stretched a bit, going over to her bag to retrieve one of her machetes that she planned to sharpen on the boulders down by the stream. She clipped on her hunter's belt and slipped it into place before picking up the basket she had crafted the day before.

"Let's head down to the stream. We can get some more moss along the way as well."

. . .

**Blake stood and stretched,** her arms reaching as high as they could as she heard and felt a satisfying pop in her back.

"Do you want me to carry you?" she asked, walking to stand next to her partner. She leaned down to kiss Weiss, wishing they could stay like this all day, but she knew they had things to do.

. . .

Once Weiss had finished preparing everything, she considered the question. She looked back outside, noting how the forest was still misty, and there was a stuffy scent of rain on the air in addition to the dew from the previous night.

"Maybe it'd be best for you to carry me. I'm not sure how long the weather's going to hold up. Though I suppose when it _does_ rain, that will lessen our mandatory trips to the stream if I can just leave the bucket outside," she considered. "But just to be safe, let's head down there."

She gave Blake a quick peck on the cheek before turning her back to allow her to disrobe.

. . .

**She could feel the stillness** in the air, and at first it was nice, almost peaceful.

But then the silence stretched and stretched and stretched.

It wasn't natural.

The woods were dead quiet around them.

Blake's ear and tail fur stood on end, and she naturally hunched into a bit of a crouch.

"Hold on..."

Her chest twisted and her ears flicked at the smallest sound - the slight rustling of grass coming toward them. Her lips curled into a snarl.

"Stay there," she hissed, pressing Weiss back behind her.

Not much of Blake's fur was visible in this form, but it was all standing on-end.

. . .

The sudden change of Blake's mood had Weiss stiff and terrified. She obeyed and stepped further back into the cave, not making a sound.

She knew Blake's senses and instincts were much keener than Weiss' own, so she was inclined to believe something was wrong. Blake seemed panicked, quite literally being cornered in the cave now.

Weiss put her hand on her machete and squinted through the mist, waiting.

Something was coming.

. . .

**Blake had a feeling** in her gut what the noise was, but it wasn't until several Panthers appeared from the forest that she knew _who_ it was.

The lead Panther transformed into a horribly familiar person standing opposite her, a faint smile on his face.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Adam growled. "We thought you were dead, Blake." He stepped closer with outstretched arms, somehow making an inviting gesture look extremely uninviting. Raindrops started falling around them, something Blake was grateful for since it would help to mask Weiss' scent.

She took a step back as Adam was about to hug her; Weiss' scent was still heavy on her and he would smell it if he got closer.

"Why did you come here, Adam?"

"Why?" he scoffed. "To bring you back into the pack, of course."

. . .

Weiss tensed when her worst fears came true. A small pack of Panthers was emerging from the surrounding forest, lithe bodies of all different shades and colors. Some sported injuries, likely from the battle with the Hunters several days ago.

Only when an unfamiliar voice sounded was Weiss alerted to the fact that one of them had transformed.

She couldn't see him from her hiding spot, and Blake's black tail flicked in warning, indicating for Weiss to stay back. The Huntress tried to quiet her breathing as she listened to what was being said.

_No… They're trying to take her back. Away from me…_

Weiss wouldn't allow it. Only if Blake herself wanted to go would Weiss let her. Otherwise, she would fight.

Weiss tightened her grip on the hilt of her machete, waiting, praying its use wouldn't be necessary.

. . .

**Blake took another step** back from Adam as he spoke; she had no intention of going back to the pack.

The rain started picking up, drumming against the stone and darkening the ground.

"I'm not coming back, Adam."

The reply sent a ripple of confusion through the Panthers, especially Adam. Though his was more rage and disbelief.

"Of _course_ you are. Where else would you go?" His words took on a hard edge as he stepped closer. "Who else would want _you?_"

Blake could sense Weiss tensing behind her and she just prayed that the other girl wouldn't come out.

"I'm not coming with you, Adam. I have my reasons," Blake replied evenly, her posture not giving away the tension she felt coiling her muscles.

Adam ignored her words and quickly grabbed her wrist, yanking with all his strength.

"_I_ am the leader of this pack. _You_ listen to _my_ orders. You're coming back Blake, whether you like it or not."

. . .

Weiss was fuming at what this man said:

"_Who else would want _you?_"_

She almost revealed herself then, but by some miracle managed to hold herself back, staying hidden, believing this could all be resolved reasonably if the man could respect Blake's wishes.

But the second she saw Blake's body being jerked forward, heard the girl yelp, and heard the man's condescending and commanding voice that didn't allow room for arguments, the Huntress snapped.

She knew Blake could transform and likely defend herself, but not against an entire pack if they were ordered to attack.

She sheathed her machete, not wanting to start a fight unless need be, before she emerged from her hiding spot. Her eyes met with the male Panther's baffled ones, mist-blue threatening and bubbling with subtle fury.

"Let go of her," Weiss growled. "Let go of her _right now_."

. . .

**Adam was stunned** by the sudden appearance of the white-haired girl; he had been under the assumption that Blake was alone.

Taking advantage of his confusion, Blake yanked her arm away from him, backing up to stand next to Weiss.

The Panthers looked from Blake to Weiss and back again, understanding slowly dawning on them.

Adam sneered at the sight of the Huntress, noting how they each stood posed to protect the other. He laughed, low and thick, shaking his head.

"Now _what_ is _this?_" he grunted. "A _Huntress_, Blake? I always knew you were stupid, but _this_...? I hope you're just fattening her up so you can make a meal of her later and share with the pack." He gave her the chance to accept the suggestion and save herself, but she didn't. Adam just laughed again. "So then... is this girl the reason you aren't coming back?" He sneered at Weiss, fangs bared.

"Yes," Blake replied simply, taking a step in front of Weiss should it come to violence. "Just leave now, Adam. If you come any closer, it won't end well."

. . .

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief when Blake freed herself from his grasp and returned to her side. But the Panther girl's ears were flattened, tail lashing, indicating there was still a great threat at hand.

Weiss quickly realized this wasn't just any pack, but Blake's old pack; the pack she had abandoned and feigned death to in order to be with Weiss. And they clearly didn't take betrayal sitting down.

The Huntress met the man's - _Adam's_ \- eyes, cold and dark and seething with rage, directed both at Blake and herself. His ears were also back, tail erect and bristling. Weiss almost took Blake's hand as a quiet display of reassurance, but she realized such an act could fuel the other Panthers' anger.

Instead, she held Adam's gaze. "Please," Weiss drew her machete and quickly dropped it as a sign of peace. "Let us be. We're not going to interfere with your lives anymore. I've given up my life of hunting - for Blake. Let us be."

. . .

**Blake could see Adam** soften slightly at Weiss' show of peace, and for a brief fleeting moment she thought he might leave them.

But that hope was dashed when he stepped forward and spit on Weiss' machete.

"You think I'll leave a _traitor_ and a _killer_ to live out their delusions in peace?" he taunted, fur bristling.

Blake took a step back.

"Adam, please- If we were ever friends, you'll let us leave in peace."

Blake tried to plead, hoping that somewhere deep down her old friend would listen to her.

He spent a long moment before replying.

"I can't do that, Blake. Not when you're a traitor to our people," he jeered. "So does she have a leash for you? Or are you a good tamed animal? Your fur sure looks nice and clean. Are you sure she isn't just pampering you so she can kill you in your sleep?"

Blake snarled furiously as she jumped at him, transforming in midair. She crashed into him in her panther form, her full weight pinning him to the ground with jaws mere inches above his throat.

. . .

Weiss hissed at Adam's words, but before she could retort, Blake had already shifted forms and launched herself at him. She bowled him over easily, covering his body with hers, fangs at his throat, and Weiss knew it was only a matter of time before-

With a snarl, her fears became reality as Adam morphed as well, fighting back against Blake. The other Panthers watched on, eager, waiting for a cue to attack as well. But for now, this seemed to be a one-on-one match, which was good for Blake, considering fighting just Adam was better than twenty of them.

But Weiss couldn't forgive what she'd heard.

She grabbed her machete, and without a shred of hesitation, ran toward the two massive, thrashing cats. She ducked out of the way of one of Blake's aimed swipes and also managed to avoid Adam's jaws.

The next second, Adam's claws scored her right arm, knocking her back into Blake. She heard the distressed whine from her partner, but Weiss was empowered by adrenaline and rage. With her smaller form, she dove between them, preventing a blow Adam had intended for Blake's face as Weiss thrust her knife toward his chest.

She didn't make contact, but it stopped his assault in time to let Blake get her bearings back. Weiss knew Adam could attack her right now if he wanted to, snap her arm or neck with ease, but she needed to say something first.

"You…" she panted. "_You_ of all people called her an _animal_. If that's all she is to you - in _your_ eyes - you'd best get out of my sight right now."

Her eyes challenged him to fight back and attack her; although she'd sworn never to kill again, she wouldn't mind drawing some blood from him.

. . .

**Adam was about to strike** when Weiss dove between them and stopped him, holding a knife to his chest.

Disoriented, Blake listened to Weiss' words, and she could see Adam take a second to think about them. She saw his muscles tense right as he was about to attack.

Getting to her paws, she jumped in his way. His claws scored down her shoulder, but she was fueled by a need to protect Weiss. She barreled him over and quickly placed a paw on top of him.

She lowered her head with a growl, her jaws just inches from his throat, poised to clamp shut.

She could do it. She could.

But she didn't.

A silent message passed between them as she pulled away and turned back to Weiss, transforming.

"Goodbye, Adam."

. . .

Weiss was hardly surprised when Adam moved to attack her anyway, and the huntress braced herself, prepared to fight him tooth and nail.

But Blake intercepted the blow, taking it for herself, blood welling at her shoulder and Weiss whimpered, knowing Blake wouldn't let her help heal it for fear she would turn. But her companion bested Adam despite the pain, throwing him onto his back and planting her paw on his throat.

The Panthers watching fell silent, drinking in the sight; a clear display of Blake's dominance and superiority over their leader as he lay helpless and at her mercy.

And all because she loved Weiss.

The white-haired Huntress sobbed with relief when Blake got off of him; the rest of them had seen who the winner of this battle was, and if Adam attacked again now, it would be a cowardly, pathetic move on his part. Some of the other cats might even have intercepted him.

Weiss kept her eyes on him to make sure he didn't plan to move again until Blake reached her. The Huntress brought her hands quickly to Blake's face and kissed her, mumbling apologies as her palms slid down to cover the bleeding wound at Blake's shoulder, forcing herself not to use her aura on the other girl and keeping it for only her own wound.

. . .

**Blake smiled when Weiss** cupped her cheeks and kissed her, both happy that the other was alive. She grimaced slightly when Weiss touched the wound at her shoulder; she was glad that Weiss didn't use any aura to heal it, though.

Kissing Weiss back with fervor, Blake put an arm around Weiss' shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?"

Weiss nodded and Blake wrapped her tail around Weiss' waist, and an arm around her shoulder.

It was clear that the other Panthers weren't going to attack, and Adam got slowly to his paws, visibly mortified at being bested.

The other cats had already started to slink off through the trees, having seen all they needed to see.

Blake flicked her tail and turned away from them.

"Are you okay to walk? I can carry you if you need," she offered.

. . .

When Weiss next turned around, Adam was gone. A bit of blood smeared the ground, reminding Weiss of hers and Blake's injuries. They were both drenched now from the rain, and it cleaned their wounds of leaking blood, but it would still be best to get back to the cave and rest now.

"I'll be fine," Weiss murmured. "Let's walk."

With her free hand, she took Blake's, and they slowly began making their way back into the cave. It was so quiet again, almost as if the fight just now hadn't even occurred, the only evidence being the traces of blood.

Weiss moved at a brisk pace, constantly looking to Blake to make sure the glow of her aura was healing her shoulder.

"So… what now? You're… you're probably banished, and even if something happened to me and you tried to go back, they wouldn't accept you…" Her voice wavered and she looked to the ground.

. . .

**"I made my decision,** and I don't regret a single second of it," Blake replied. "It doesn't matter if I'm banished. I have you, and nothing is going to happen to us. Only death will take me from you."

And she meant it.

"I wasn't happy with the direction the pack was going, anyway. We started peacefully, but in recent weeks they became more violent and ready to fight back against the Hunters. I didn't want that...

"I will always be happy that I met you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

A kiss to Weiss' lips emphasized her point.

Once they were in the shelter of their cave, Blake noticed Weiss was shivering.

"If you change your clothes, I'll transform to keep you warm," she murmured. "And don't worry, my wound is fine."

. . .

Weiss stumbled to her bag. She stripped and forced herself into her clean outfit, unable to suppress the shudders that raked her body. Her aura lapped at the scratch marks on her arm that were almost fully healed by now.

Taking the blanket with her, she limped back to Blake. Their fire somehow having stayed alive, Weiss tossed a few spare sticks onto it. She then went to Blake while she was still in human form and kissed her again, holding her breath.

When she pulled back, she checked Blake's wound again anyway, but was satisfied to see it really was healing on its own.

. . .

**As Weiss was changing,** Blake saw the wound on her arm and wished she could use her aura to help heal it.

The other girl came back with the blanket, throwing more sticks on the fire to keep it going. The kiss she placed on Blake's lips was soft and loving; the Panther girl returned it with as much feeling as she could put into it.

Quietly, Blake pulled away, and while Weiss laid the blanket out, she transformed into a panther once more. She curled up on the blanket, leaving space for Weiss to lay against her side. The white-haired girl fit perfectly in the space between her front and back leg.

When she was comfortable, Blake covered her with her tail. She started purring at having Weiss close again. Licking the girl's face, Blake rested her head on Weiss' lap.

. . .

The heiress settled against the panther's flank, bringing the ends of the blanket up to cover Blake and herself as much as possible. She traced her hands gently over the matted fur of Blake's shoulder, relieved to find that most of the blood was drying now.

This was all so familiar, and Weiss wondered how many more times they would get to live this kind of scene.

But winter was coming. While hunting a deer or even just birds and rabbits could keep them both fed for a few days at a time, finding food wasn't exactly the biggest issue. While Blake might be fine in her panther form to keep herself heated, Weiss wasn't so certain she could survive strings of cold nights if there were ever a blizzard to trap them inside; even with Blake around her and a fire at her side, there were limits as to how much a human's body could take.

Weiss knew they would need to figure something out before long. Perhaps they could leave the forest and run away somewhere, start a new life. If they could just find a house somewhere, an abandoned shack where Blake wouldn't need to hide her cat form, where Weiss wouldn't be recognized by people…

It was all too much to think about right now, and Weiss was exhausted. She clung to Blake's fur until she stopped shivering, and her breath became slow and deep.

. . .

**Bake curled around Weiss** as tightly as she could, wanting to warm and comfort her partner. The air was chilled more than usual, and Blake knew they would need to find a better shelter eventually.

That could wait for another day though; right now, they had each other, and that's what mattered.

Blake could feel Weiss clinging to her fur, her shivers slowly reducing until the white-haired girl fell asleep.

Blake listened to the Huntress' deep breathing for several minutes - it was a reassurance that Weiss was all right.

Eventually though, she could feel the exhaustion from her fight and the dreary weather making her tired. She yawned and gave Weiss' face a gentle lick, her way of kissing the sleeping girl goodnight while in this form.

Resting her head back down on Weiss' lap, Blake started to drift off to sleep.

. . .

* * *

. . .

After the battle several weeks ago, Yang had lost Weiss.

In addition to seeing so many other of her comrades slaughtered before her very eyes in the fights with the cats, she had lost the girl she'd felt most responsible for. The girl who had reminded her of Ruby, and Yang have vowed she would keep her safe.

And she'd failed.

The remaining Hunters in their band had trudged back to town a few days later to deliver the bodies of the fallen to their families. Yang wanted to do at least that much for Weiss, but she'd been taken, hauled off into the forest by that pure-black Panther, never to be seen again. When they'd told Weiss' father, he'd been more enraged than anything, demanding money in compensation for his loss. But he didn't care about Weiss; that much was clear to the blonde girl.

She'd been given a few weeks off to recover from her own injuries, going back home to take care of Ruby. Her sister was always so glad to see Yang, sometimes going so far as to get up from her wheelchair and hug her.

When Yang had to tell her Weiss had been killed, Ruby started to cry, and it broke her heart.

"Don't worry, lil' sis. I'll get revenge. For you and for Weiss. I promise."

And she was going to make well on that promise.

In a few days, she'd be dispatched on another hunt, and she intended to find that pure-black Panther and tear out its throat, watch it bleed out slowly.

Yang was eager to get going.

* * *

**A/N: So yes, we actually didn't want _Adam_ to be the main threat in this story...**

**Please review!**


	10. The Intangible Danger

**Get ready, because it's pretty much all drama from here on out.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 10. The Intangible Danger

**The weeks after the encounter** with Adam and Blake's former pack were peaceful and plentiful for Blake and Weiss.

Each day they would rise and go about their daily tasks; hunting, cleaning clothes, fetching water - whatever they needed to do to survive. Small signs of love were peppered throughout the activities; kisses between work, hugs, and gentle nudges.

At night, they would skin and cook whatever Blake had caught. Weiss had taught Blake a lot about how to prepare the many kinds of animals she brought home.

They would then relax the rest of the night before they slept. On warmer nights, Blake would remain in her natural human form and snuggle up to her lover. On the chillier nights, Blake would transform and curl around Weiss to keep her warm.

But now the nights were growing colder and darker, and they both knew they would have to find a new place to live; the cave didn't provide enough shelter for Weiss to survive the cold.

Presently, Blake woke up in panther form curled around Weiss; it had been another cold night. With a yawn and a stretch, she became a little more awake and alert. Raising her head from Weiss' lap, she licked the girl's face to wake her up.

. . .

To live with Blake in peace like this was a dream come true. Things were quiet in the following days; there were no more attacks from wild animals or other Panthers, no more injuries or pain. Only love.

But of course, it wasn't all fun and games; chores took up a few hours of every day, sharpening knifes and collecting water, hunting meals and gathering wood. On occasion, Weiss would hunt instead, insisting Blake rest, and the huntress would use her rifle, holding true to her kills with her infallible marksmanship.

They were sure to gather tons of dry twigs and sticks in the autumn and pile them in mounds at the back of the cave to feed the fires. If they ever ran out, Weiss had every intention to use her knives to cut bark and branches off the trees herself.

It had been cold last night, and even curled in the blanket and with Blake tightly wound around her, Weiss' lack of movement during the night had left her cold. She took comfort in Blake's warmth, her purring, breathing, and heartbeat that reminded Weiss they were both alive, encouraging her to get up.

When she looked outside, she understood why it was so cold.

The sharp tang of snow was on her tongue, and when she looked to the cave entrance, she saw a light, fluffy blanket of white covering the ground, a bit of a flurry still drifting down. Weiss felt a bit of excitement bubble up in her stomach as the word passed her lips:

"Snow…"

She felt like a child.

She felt so foolish.

She wanted-

She wanted to go out and play.

. . .

**Blake slowly stood up,** working out the kinks in her body from the cold weather. She transformed and quickly dressed, the cold weather nipping at her bare skin.

Once she was dressed, she looked over to Weiss; the white-haired girl was standing at the mouth of the cave looking out. Walking over to her partner, Blake hugged her from behind, nuzzling into the girl's long white hair.

"Good morning, Weiss," she murmured, kissing Weiss' cheek. Looking out, she saw the flurry outside their cave. "What are you thinking about?" she purred, though she felt like she already knew.

. . .

Weiss hummed as she felt Blake's arms around her, looking out into the forest that was coated with frost. It was the first snowfall of the year.

Weiss loved the snow. She missed it…

"Let's go outside."

Taking Blake's hands in hers, she pulled the Panther girl out into the fresh air. It was crisp and sharp and smelled of ice and Weiss _loved_ it. She loved the way it filled her lungs and woke her up fully.

Walking to a nearby boulder, Weiss cupped her bare hands over the top layer of fresh snow and brought it to her lips, drinking it in, letting the cool flavor run down her throat. The stream would freeze over soon, but at least they wouldn't have to worry about water for a while if it snowed.

Weiss turned back to Blake, admiring the crystalline flakes that had caught in her hair and ears and on her eyelashes, making her appear even more gorgeous. She went to the girl and placed a cool kiss on her cheek. She took her hand softly.

"Let's walk for a bit."

. . .

**Weiss took Blake's hand** and lead her outside.

The air was chilled as the snow continued to fall around them. Blake watched as Weiss drank the fresh frost; the white-haired girl looked perfectly natural in the snowy environment.

Blake could feel the snow catching in her hair and fur, the white contrasting with it. Weiss came over and kissed her cheek before taking hold of her hands again and leading them on a walk.

It was peaceful, the snow flurried around them as they walked through the frozen forest. The world was sparkling. The snow blended perfectly with Weiss' hair, but the cool weather brought a bright flush to her cheeks that Blake found adorable.

"You look beautiful," she murmured without thinking, wrapping her arm and tail around her companion.

. . .

The compliment was unexpected, but Weiss really shouldn't have been surprised, considering she'd been thinking the very same about Blake. The blush on her cheeks went darker as an arm wrapped around her, and Weiss returned the half-hug as best she could from her position.

"I could say the same to you."

The snow continued to fall as they walked on, the forest silent as it witnessed this rare magic. Only a few birds or squirrels flitted about in the branches, an occasional rabbit or pheasant on the ground. Weiss knew they would need to catch something, but that could wait until their journey home.

She led them down to the stream that had partially iced over, shimmering in the bright light of the snowy world, the water blue as it reflected the sky. Weiss lost herself in that scene for a moment, breath puffing white as she shivered a bit, hugging her bare hands to her sides.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured, as though scared to disturb or otherwise ruin the tranquility of it all. "But not as gorgeous as you." She strained up to kiss Blake's cheek again, nuzzling into her neck a bit.

. . .

**The stream was starting** to ice over; already half of if was frozen, the water shimmered as it reflected the light. From what Blake could tell, the ice was still thin enough that some strong, calculated strikes could break it to get at the water underneath if absolutely necessary.

Blake was more entranced by the sight of Weiss - the girl next to her had a look of absolute wonder as she marveled at the scene in front of them.

Blake blushed at Weiss' comment, the shorter girl standing up as high as she could to kiss Blake's cheek before nuzzling her neck. Wrapping her arms around Weiss, Blake lifted the girl off of her feet, bringing them to eye level.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" Blake asked rhetorically as she kissed Weiss' nose.

. . .

"Eep!" Weiss squealed in delight as Blake hoisted her up and pecked her nose. The Huntress giggled against her, nuzzling into the Panther girl's cheek. "You have," she recounted. "But I'm not opposed to a reminder."

She hugged Blake's shoulders and rested her chin atop her head, between her ears, kissing them softly. Blake held her there for a moment as the snow continued to fall around them, and Weiss watched it drift down and into the moving water of the stream. She sneezed once, then sighed, watching her breath rise up, savoring the stillness and silence of the forest.

Then, a shudder ran through her that she couldn't suppress - a surprisingly strong one that startled her a bit - and Weiss made a chilled sound as Blake put her down.

"Maybe we should head back now. We can see if we can find something to eat along the way."

. . .

**Blake was enjoying** Weiss' warmth, closeness, and scent in contrast to the frigid air.

Back in her pack days, she'd never really gotten to enjoy the snow very much. There was a whole pack to feed and prey would get scarce, and it wasn't like they could just waltz into the next town as humans and buy food.

It was nice to be able to enjoy the snow instead of worry about it.

But then a shudder ran through Weiss' body, a strong one that Blake could feel as she held her. Blake carefully let her down and looked at her with concern.

"Are you all right?"

. . .

"I'm fine," Weiss reassured her as they began to walk. "Just cold." She kept close to Blake, clinging to her arm as they headed back through the forest, the snow crunching beneath their feet. Weiss shook herself to dislodge some of the frost that had caught in her hair and over her shoulders.

As they journeyed back toward the cave, Weiss didn't catch sight of any animals they could hunt anymore. The only squirrel she saw was startled by her own sneeze as she buried her face in her elbow.

"Sorry…" she sniffed. "But it's fine if we don't find anything today. We still have some meat left from last night."

She was starting to lose the feeling in her hands now, even the one holding Blake's much warmer palm. Subconsciously, she tried to quicken her pace a bit, eager to get back to shelter and the fire. She continued to sneeze and sniffle all the way back, wiping her eyes and grunting at the dryness in her throat.

Once they'd finally arrived back at the cave, Weiss went to the canteen to drink, wincing at the irritation that was starting to climb up her throat. Trying to conserve the water, she put it aside and caught her breath. She hoped whatever this was would simply disappear after a warm nap by the fire.

. . .

**All the while as Weiss drank,** Blake looked on worriedly. She hoped they weren't symptoms of illness, but merely residual coughs from being in such pure cold.

She threw more fuel on the fire to bring the heat up for Weiss' comfort. Adjusting their bed to be closer to the fire, Blake looked over to Weiss.

"Come here by the fire. Do you want me to transform to help keep you warm?" she asked, walking over to hug Weiss and help her over to the bed.

. . .

Blake led her to their bed by the fire, the warmth more than welcome after the biting frigidness of the snow outside. The thin layer of clothing Weiss wore didn't serve to do much for her, and her socks were getting tattered by this point, boots loosening from overuse.

To answer Blake's question, she shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'd rather hold you for a while." She clutched the blanket up over her shoulders, draping one end over Blake and pressing her exposed side into the girl's shoulder, slipping under her arm and fitting perfectly against her.

But Weiss couldn't stop shivering despite the heat surrounding her, burrowing her face into Blake's shoulder to stifle a cough. She wrapped her arms around the Panther girl's sides, keeping as close to her as possible. But Weiss' breath was shallow and it was hard to swallow properly, her throat seemingly on fire even more so than the pile of sticks before them.

"Actually... maybe… you should transform after all. I don't know why I'm s-so cold right now. It shouldn't…. be this bad." She turned her face away and sneezed again.

. . .

**Weiss pressed close to** Blake's side, the blanket up to her shoulders as they rested near the fire. Even with the warmth enveloping her, Weiss was still shivering uncontrollably; Blake could feel her shallow breathing.

When Weiss spoke, her voice was quiet and weak. Blake stood up wordlessly and took of her clothes, handing them to Weiss.

"Here, put these on as well."

She put her hands to the ground and transformed. Blake curled up around Weiss as tightly as she could. She draped her tail over Weiss as she laid her head on the girl's lap in an effort to warm the Huntress up as much as possible. Still, Weiss continued to shiver and sneeze, and all the while a growing sense of worry and concern filled Blake.

. . .

Weiss sniffled as Blake handed her her clothes, slipping them on with trembling hands. It was alarming how quickly the cold had overtaken her so completely, and the lack of medicine to fight it only encouraged it.

The day was still early, only about noontime, but when Blake transformed and curled around her, Weiss just wanted to sleep. She hugged Blake's neck and squeezed in an effort to find support, huffing for breath as she was shaken from her core, tremors rippling from the inside out. The coughs and sneezes interchanged as the minutes ticked on, and Weiss just wished she would fall asleep and not be burdened with it all.

After nearly half an hour of uncomfortable fidgeting and a harsh pain scratching in her throat, Weiss started to feel the throbs of her pulse pounding in her body. Everything felt wrong. She was shivering, and yet sweat gathered on her forehead, her breath dry and withered, stomach growling now.

But it wasn't long afterward when her body exhausted itself entirely, and she passed out on Blake's shoulders just as a warm tear slipped down her cheek.

. . .

**Blake could feel the shaking,** uneasy breaths Weiss took, the girl's shivers violent and not eased much by the added warmth. Unable to comfort her partner with words while in her Panther form, Blake could only purr to try and help the girl to sleep.

Eventually, Weiss passed out, arms still squeezed around Blake's neck; thankfully in her sleep the shivers that racked her body eased slightly.

Lifting her head a bit, Blake looked Weiss over; the girl's white hair was matted to her face from the cold sweat that covered her skin. The worry Blake felt only grew.

Settling her head on Weiss' lap again, Blake tried to think of what she could do.

_When she wakes up, I'll have her eat and then I'll try and find some more food and any plants with medicinal properties. Hopefully, I can find any of the plants Weiss showed me weeks ago._

_. . ._

When she slept, Weiss completely blacked out, and didn't wake again until twilight. In the nighttime hours, the air was even colder, and Weiss let out a soft sob when she finally woke - she considered herself thankful she'd woken at all, judging by the state of her body.

She felt hollow, head light and fuzzy while her chest was stuffy as though a great weight had been placed there to crush her ribcage, preventing her from breathing the way she wanted to. Her skin was on fire and yet damp, and when she opened her eyes, splotches of black dotted her vision. When she tried to speak, all that came out was a string of loud coughs that she failed to swallow.

Once that had finally ended, Weiss quickly shed her top layer of clothing and wiped her forehead.

"B-Blake, it's so hot. B-But I'm shaking. I don't know what to-" she coughed again, hugging herself, breathing heavily through her mouth. When she noticed it was dark outside, she whimpered, fearful of the oncoming cold that was sure to follow

. . .

**Blake kept a watchful eye** on her sick companion, every tremor through her sleeping body only serving to make Blake worry more.

When Weiss woke up, Blake could immediately see that the girl was in pain and discomfort, her face filmed with sweat as she coughed loudly. When Weiss finally spoke, her voice was thin and trembling, the words barely above a whisper as she breathed in heavy gasps.

Blake transformed out of her Panther form when Weiss complained of being too hot, insisting though that the girl keep the blanket and extra clothes, lest she get too cold. Grabbing the shirt Weiss had taken off, Blake ripped a piece of it off, soaking it with their water before using the cool fabric to wipe the sweat from Weiss' face.

"Shh, it'll be all right, Weiss. I'm here for you." Blake stroked Weiss' face with the cloth, leaning down to kiss the girl's forehead.

. . .

Blake's warmth briefly vanished, only to be replaced by her sturdy arms wrapping around Weiss. The Huntress clung to her companion, seeking and accepting every ounce of comfort Blake provided for her. The cool water lapping at her feverish skin served to lessen some of the stifling heat, but only for a moment.

_I know…_ She thought, too tired to find her voice, fearing she'd only cough more. _I know you're here for me, Blake. Thank you._

She closed her eyes slowly, head rolling back as Blake supported her. Weiss could feel her heart thumping roughly, pounding in her ears. Her furrowed eyebrows creased even more as she swallowed, feeling the unpleasant, thick pain in her throat.

She was starving, but wasn't confident she could eat. Still, she thought it would be better to try.

"Do we h-have any leftovers…?" she rasped, blinking her eyes open again, though they didn't focus very well.

She felt so helpless. She just wanted to go back to sleep…

. . .

**Blake held Weiss,** the girl's back resting against her chest as they sat in the cooling cave. Weiss was still shivering, but the moist cloth seemed to help ease her discomfort slightly.

Weiss rested her head against Blake, still groaning and coughing in discomfort. At the request for food, Blake reached over and grabbed the leftover deer meat from the previous night. Taking the smallest piece, Blake held it to Weiss' lips, not wanting to rush her in case she couldn't muster the energy.

"Eat at whatever speed you want," Blake whispered as Weiss weakly opened her mouth and ate the meat. She chewed slowly, and while she did Blake grabbed another piece and held it, waiting.

. . .

It was a good thing Blake was holding her up, because Weiss knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to manage the feat herself. The coughs jolted through her, never giving her a moment of peace.

When Blake leaned down to offer a bit of meat, Weiss slowly bit into it, chewing much more than was necessary, feeling almost too exhausted to swallow. She forced herself to though, and even managed to scarf down a few more pieces.

But on the fourth, her throat suddenly closed and Weiss' breath hitched. She hunched forward, hacking as she tried to dislodge the food. Everything burned inside and out, and she was terrified. It was almost a full minute she was stuck coughing.

Only when Blake helped with a firm hit between her shoulder blades did the meat finally come up, leaving Weiss gasping desperately. She couldn't do anything more than turn around shakily and hug Blake with every bit of life left in her, crying freely.

. . .

**"Weiss-?"**

Blake gasped when Weiss started coughing and trembling as she tried to dislodge the food from her airways, failing to do so. Blake patted her back for her firmly, but it wasn't working.

So with a firm strike to Weiss' back, the meat dislodged itself from her throat and landed on the stone floor.

Blake held Weiss closely when the girl turned to her and hugged her as tight as she could. The Panther girl could only listen as Weiss cried, every sob hurting her heart with a sharp pain. All Blake could do was hold Weiss tight and murmur quiet reassurances.

"It's okay. I've got you..."

. . .

Weiss wanted to believe in Blake's soft whispers of how everything was going to be all right, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt too weak, almost like her body wasn't even her own. She was hot and sweating, cold and shaking, and the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

_Why… Why is this happening? Why so suddenly, and why does it hurt so badly…? _She silently asked questions that went unanswered.

Eventually, Weiss cried herself to sleep in Blake's arms, willingly letting go of her conscience to pray - _pray_ \- all of this would be over when she woke tomorrow, begging she'd be able to do at least that.

She hoped she could. She didn't want to die, not like this, not when her life with Blake had only just begun.

She relinquished all hold on the waking world and fell into darkness.

. . .

**Blake held Weiss** as close as she could without overheating her ailing companion. The girl's pitiful condition hurt Blake to look at, even more so because Blake felt so powerless to help.

For all her strength, her agility, and her her intelligence, there was nothing she could do to help the girl she loved against an intangible danger, and it cut Blake to her core.

She knew that she needed to leave and find something to help Weiss, medicinal plants or anything.

But at the same time, Blake was afraid to leave her alone, lest the unthinkable happen.

_No! I can' think that way. Weiss will live. I'll make sure of it._

Gently stroking Weiss' hair, Blake helped lull the girl to a fitful sleep, a plan for the next morning already forming in her mind as she continued to hold Weiss.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Finally.

It had been weeks since Yang had last been dispatched on a hunting mission, and months since she'd lost Weiss. And she was going back to work now with a promise to herself and to Ruby in her heart; she was going to avenge her friend no matter what.

Ozpin had led the band back into the same forest where they had lost so many people in previous months. It was winter now and snow coated the ground, but thankfully the tents they set up were warm and cozy. They were only going to be here for a few days this time; it was much easier to track Panthers when they had prints to follow, and their darker pelts were much easier to see against the snow.

Yang loaded her rifle that night, imagining aiming it right at the pitch-black Panther that had taken Weiss - _killed_ her. She imagined pulling the trigger and watching the light leave its vicious eyes.

She couldn't wait.

She put her weapon aside for the night as she extinguished the lantern of her tent and laid herself down.

* * *

**A/N: I know I keep teasing Yang coming in, but she really is coming in soon. I swear.**

**Please review!**


	11. The Bullet

**Introducing another character into the RP. Weiss line's will begin underlined, Blake's **bolded**, and Yang's unaffected. Sorry it might be a bit of a chaotic read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 11. The Bullet

The first thing Weiss felt when she awoke the next morning wasn't even relief; it was just the same biting cold.

She should've been relieved and thankful that she'd woken at all. But instead she was just scared - how many more times would she be able to wake after she fell asleep?

She moaned in pain, not even Blake's soft form against hers serving to comfort her like she knew it should. She wanted to kiss Blake, not knowing how many more times she'd be able to, but she feared spreading the sickness, and instead buried her face in the Panther girl's collar.

Weiss tried to slow her racing heartbeat, matching her breathing to Blake's steady inhales as best she could. It was snowing again today, and Weiss wanted to savor Blake's warmth despite her own fever.

The last thing she wanted was to lose that warmth.

. . .

**Blake held Weiss** the entire night, rubbing her back the entire time at the cost of her own sleep.

Eventually, the dawn slowly colored the dark forest, and Blake blinked her tired eyes, happy that Weiss had descended into a more peaceful sleep later in the night.

When Weiss woke up, Blake breathed a sigh of relief, smiling wearily as she kissed Weiss' head. The fire had slowly died down throughout the night - Blake hadn't wanted to leave Weiss, and so had been unable to refuel the flames.

Gently, she brushed the hair out of Weiss' face, the Huntress' eyes opening blearily to look up at her.

"See? I told you that you'd be fine," Blake reassured with a smile "I'm going to go. I need to find you some of the medicinal plants you showed me." Blake could hear Weiss' whimper and feel her clutch tighter. "Hey, I'll be back. I'll put a cool cloth on your head and bring the fire back up. I promise I won't be long."

. . .

Weiss was beyond frightened at the thought of Blake leaving her. Her strong fever and weakened state of mind only let her assume the worst; that Blake would get hurt, that she wouldn't come back, that Weiss wouldn't be able to stay awake without her.

She wanted to tell Blake that most of those plants had probably been killed by the frost, that there was no use in going out to dig for dead leaves, that she'd rather have Blake stay here with her. But her voice wasn't working, and only a rasping, thin breath of air passed through her lips.

She shivered and hugged herself pitifully. The fire was gone, reduced to only a few meager, lapping flames, and a heavy cold chill had settled into the cave. But Weiss knew Blake would go anyway, because it was for her sake.

Still, she didn't want to watch Blake leave her, so Weiss buried her face in her elbow and closed her eyes.

. . .

**Blake stood and gently** laid Weiss' head down, wanting the girl to be comfortable. Treading quietly, she grabbed the remaining sticks and branches they had, placing them on the fire to get it roaring again. Once the fire was blazing and giving off heat, Blake sighed knowing this was all she could do for Weiss at the moment.

"I'll be back soon, Weiss. And I'll have the plants, I promise." She kissed Weiss' head again.

Transforming into her panther form, Blake ran out of the cave and into the snowy woods with haste. She ran as fast as she could, wary for hidden vines and roots that could twist her ankles.

Her mind was entirely devoted to the goal of finding these plants. As she ran, she looked for any leaves poking through the frost. She was heading to the place where Weiss had originally shown her the plants, a hope that they would still be alive.

_Hold on, Weiss!_

. . .

After she'd been roused that morning, Yang had scarfed down a decent breakfast before gathering her supplies. She checked again to make sure her rifle was loaded, leaving her knives and poison behind. Since her last hunt, she'd improved her aim enough to be confident she wouldn't need any of her other weapons.

The group of Hunters gathered together at the heart of the camp, listening to orders. They were to move out in search of the pack, follow any prints they saw, and alert the others so they could track the cats together.

And that was what Yang did - or at least, that was the impression she gave.

She hung around the back of the group as they headed off into the snowy forest, but made sure to keep her pace slow. Gradually, she put distance between herself and the others, and eventually broke off to go hunting solo.

She'd seen prints and kept quiet. She didn't want to risk leading the others to the pack and someone else taking her kill.

So she followed the prints into the woods, moving swiftly but silently, convinced luck would be on her side.

_Just you wait, ya damn bastard._

_. . ._

Weiss huddled into her blanket, curling in on herself as the violent shivers overcame her worse than before. The moss beneath her was cold by now, and the fire completely dead. Her breath was white and her body convulsed from the frigid cold, stomach flipping as she coughed.

Maybe… maybe if she could get up and get her blood flowing, that could be warmer than this. _Anything_ but lying down and withering away. She wanted to see Blake again and didn't think she could wait.

She staggered to her feet and shed her blanket, leaving it behind and she hobbled toward the entrance of the cave and stepped out into the cold white world.

. . .

**Blake reached the clearing** where she had first been shown the plants she was looking for. The layer of snow in this area was lighter than the rest, and bits of greenery poked through the cold blanket that smothered it.

She stayed in her panther form - her heightened senses would make finding the plants easier if they were still alive.

Gently, she started digging through the snow, careful not to tear up the ground and flora below. The sun was high in the sky, but the warmth and light it gave off were weak and barely noticed by Blake as she continued her work.

The Panther girl lost track of time as she kept moving through the clearing and digging, her focus entirely on helping Weiss.

A knot formed in her throat when she saw a bit of brown beneath the snow. Carefully she dug it up. If her animal form could shed tears, she would have. She found the plant she was looking for, but it had died in the oppressive cold of winter.

. . .

Yang kept absolutely silent as she moved through the forest, her boots not even making loud sounds in the crunching snow. She'd tied her golden hair back, and draped a white cape over her hunting clothes to help camouflage herself.

She followed the prints deep into the woods, noting there was only one set. It was a stretch to hope this would just so happen to lead to the cat Yang sought, but she'd come this far - she might as well finish the job, whatever stood at the end of the trail.

It must've been her lucky day.

She could see it up ahead, a panther rummaging through the snow, likely searching for burrowing prey. Its pelt was pitch-black, sleek, and oh so familiar.

Yang licked her lips.

She crouched down behind the nearest bush, breathing slowly and inaudibly. She narrowed her eyes at the Panther, knowing full well this was her intended target.

She lifted her rifle and took aim.

. . .

Weiss knew where Blake had gone off to - she herself had shown the Panther girl, after all.

In her delirious state of mind, she wasn't too sure of where she was going, if it was the correct direction, but she let her instincts lead her; she'd lived with Blake long enough, _loved_ _her_ long enough to know she could have faith in herself and her ability to find her partner anywhere.

She fell many more times than she knew she should've, even in her weakened condition, and each time the snow seeped deeper and colder into her skin, settling in her bones.

But Weiss always pushed herself up again, panting and sweating, shivering and sobbing as she fought to find her partner.

And when she finally had, she collapsed to her knees at the edge of the clearing, her small, white form not even a disturbance in the area.

Blake was _so close._..

She wheezed harshly, looking up with blurred vision past the tears, trying to focus on the Panther's form. She didn't know if her voice would work, didn't know if she'd hear her or not, but she only had enough breath left in her to try once.

"Bla…ke…"

. . .

**She roared in anger,** furious that the hopes she'd had riding on the plant had died like the plant itself.

_What now? I need to help Weiss, but what can I do now? _

Blake thought with increasing desperation. Without any plan of action, Blake turned to head back to the cave. With slow trudging steps, she made her way to the edge of the clearing.

Then, a smell reached her nose, something that she hadn't smelled in months.

_Hunter. _

Blake's fur began to bristle and her hackles raised. She tried to figure out where it was originating from. But she couldn't figure it out, not with sight or scent or hearing; this Hunter was good and had taken a longer route to disperse their scent around the area.

Blake started to run just as a gunshot suddenly exploded, and the ground by her left paw erupted from the impact.

. . .

Yang fired a shot just as the Panther started moving, and due to the cat's sudden motion, her bullet missed its target.

"Fuck!" she growled. She'd wanted a clean hit, but now it was on to her.

But still, she intended to make her kill; even if it took every last bullet she had with her, she'd kill this damn beast.

She stood from her hiding spot and barked in a voice full of venom:

"_Monster!_"

She fired again, hands shaking with fury and causing her to miss a second time, and she bit her lip until she tasted blood. Tears swelled in her eyes as she tried to steady her hand.

"You fucking monster! You took her! You killed her, didn't you?! I'll kill you no matter what!"

The Panther was frozen in place, and Yang aimed the barrel at its chest-

-and with a distraught and furious cry, she fired.

. . .

Weiss couldn't even fathom what was happening.

As soon as Blake's ears perked up, Weiss saw her body stiffen and knew something was wrong. The girl pushed herself up in the snow, clutching her chest as she cast her gaze around the clearing-

-and her worst nightmare came true.

"No…"

_Yang._

She'd come back. She'd come back to avenge Weiss. She thought she was dead.

Weiss should've known this would happen. Why had she let Blake and herself stay in this forest for so long? Why hadn't she considered this possibility and encouraged them to move sooner?

This was all her fault.

A bullet exploded in the snow before Blake's front paws, and then another just a few feet shy of her flank. Weiss could see how much pain Yang was in as she pulled the trigger - she was doing this for Weiss' sake.

But Weiss didn't want this.

And yet, she didn't have the voice to shout out to deter her old friend's attention, nor did she have the voice to warn her lover.

When she pushed her body to its limits and beyond, there was only one thing she could do.

One final burst of speed.

One final dash.

And it put her between the third and final bullet aimed at Blake.

Arms spread wide, Weiss had been on her way to the ground anyway due to sheer enervation-

-but the ferocious, indescribable pain of the bullet as it pierced her chest sent her violently down into the snow.

She let out a silent wail of pure agony as pangs of searing pain ripped through her body, blood pooling quickly and cruelly into the bright white snow as the bullet pierced her heart.

The world quickly blurred to black around her as the red crept out beneath her crumpled body. The snow all around her was freezing, but the blood that spilled out of her was hot, and with every beat of her fading pulse she only felt colder and colder.

The tears poured down almost as quickly as the blood, and Weiss choked out the only word in her heart as it jolted weakly, feebly within her ribcage:

"B-_Bla-ke_…"

. . .

Yang screamed, rifle thrown into the snow with a thud just as Weiss' body collapsed in front of her.

Weiss.

_Weiss_.

"_Oh my god!_" Her voice was high and panicked, and tears jumped into her eyes as she rushed forward, stumbling and collapsing to her knees just a few feet away from the girl as she writhed in a pool of her own blood, losing life by the second.

Yang noticed the Panther move toward the fallen girl, and Yang was too scared, too confused and terrified to force her legs to work again, her eyes fixated on her old friend as she watched her bleed out.

"D-Don't touch her!" Yang shouted as the Panther neared Weiss. "Oh my god, Weiss! _Weiss! _I-I didn't mean to, I-" She cried out and pressed a hand to her mouth.

She'd done this. The Panther hadn't killed Weiss; _Yang_ had.

Not knowing what more she could possibly do due to her immobility and terror, Yang clasped her hands together in prayer, hunched forward into the snow, and cried out, forced to listen to Weiss' gurgling gasps for breath as the girl grew weaker by the second.

. . .

**Blake didn't feel the pain** of the bullet like she knew she should've. Opening her eyes, she felt her heart stop.

Weiss was lying on the ground, croaking Blake's name as a pool of blood spread beneath her.

_No-_

Blake roared in terror and dug her claws into the snow.

_No!_

Too stunned to move, she watched the blonde Huntress rush forward in a panic and kneel beside the dying girl, crying. She knew this was Yang, the one Weiss had told her about - the one who had killed so many of Blake's kin.

And now she'd killed _Weiss_.

Blake took a few staggering steps closer while staring at Weiss' body before the blonde girl shouted at her to keep away. Blake snarled at her and bore her fangs in fury.

_It's her fault! She's the one who shot Weiss… She's the reason Weiss is going to die! _

Blake's skull was pounding in anger and terror, not for her own life but for her lover's. Her vision seemed to mist red as she focused her rage and sorrow on Yang.

Without warning, Blake let out a deafening roar and pounced over Weiss. She hit the blonde with all the strength she could muster. Her two front paws hit Yang's shoulders and pinned her to the ground. Blake roared as loudly as she could down into her face.

_It's _your_ fault! _Blake screamed in her head, unable to think clearly through the despair and fury coursing through her. She parted her jaws, prepared to kill the murderess.

_It's your fault! I'll kill you-!_

. . .

Yang trembled in the cold snow, crying out Weiss' name again and again as she was forced to watch the girl bleed out with agonizing slowness.

"No, oh _god_ no…" She reached out toward the girl as Weiss' body went limp, unable to even writhe in pain anymore as the blood seeped out of her wound. "Weiss…"

Before she knew what had happened, a powerful impact had landed on top of her, and Yang cried out, thrashing beneath the Panther.

"_NO!_" she screamed. "No, get _off of me! _Damn it!" She kicked and punched at the cat, but her blows had no effect; she was sniveling and distraught as terror seized her.

Why resist it? She'd killed Weiss, after all. She deserved to die.

And at the jaws of _this_ goddamn Panther. How ironic.

Yang threw her arms to the sides and closed her eyes beneath the cat, splaying herself prone and welcoming the sharp fangs as they neared her throat.

. . .

Weiss couldn't feel much else other than the numbing pain and cold. But it was terrifying that she could literally _feel_ the life draining out of her, her heartbeat becoming harder and harder to pinpoint.

But then, she felt a rush of air over her, and heard the cries and snarls of the two she cared for most in the world.

She forced her eyes open again, but past the leaking tears could only make out shapes and smeared colors.

"N-No…" She wheezed, chest heaving as pangs of agony clutched her heart. "B-Bl-" She cut off coughing, hacking mouthfuls of blood into the snow. The pain was far too great for her, and she could feel the air leaving her along with the blood and tears.

She only had a few breaths left.

So she wailed at the top of her lungs:

"B-Blaaaake! Bl… ake… I-hh…"

Another mouthful of blood.

She couldn't say it.

Her body went limp.

Her eyes fell shut.

_I love you._

. . .

**Blake roared in Yang's face again**, her jaws only a few inches from her prey's throat.

That's what she was now. Not a Huntress, not a threat, not even an enemy anymore.

_Prey_.

The Panther girl's mind was a maelstrom of painful and blinding emotions; despair, sorrow, sheer fury, pain stemming from a wound that wasn't even physical, but that could never be healed.

It was all focused on the Huntress beneath her.

Yang was crying and sniveling underneath Blake, her fear palpable to the Panther.

And Blake was happy about it, glad that the girl was terrified.

_Good. You deserve to die! Murderer!_

Blake wanted to drag out Yang's suffering. She started to lower her fangs closer to the girl's throat, Yang's struggles ceasing as she accepted the futility of her resistance.

When her jaws were less than an inch away from killing Yang, a cry went up from the only other person in the clearing.

Through all the roaring fury in her head, Blake heard that cry, and with a start realized Weiss was still alive. Her jaws closed right above Yang's throat, missing. She stepped off of the girl quickly and turned her back without a second thought.

Transforming back into her human form, Blake immediately felt the bite of the cold against her skin. Tears were already spilling down her face even before she got in her first breath in human form.

Kneeling over Weiss, she placed her hands on the girl's chest, feeling her weak and fading pulse. Without thinking, Blake started pouring her aura into her partner, all thoughts of the Huntress behind her gone as she tried to heal Weiss with only one thought.

_Weiss, I love you! Please - you can't die!_

. . .

Weiss didn't want to die. But she didn't want Blake and Yang to kill one another even more. She hoped they'd leave each other be-

"_Nnghh_-!" A breathless gasp flew from her lungs when she felt hands pressed to her chest, directly over the bullet wound. The pressure alleviated a slight fraction of the pain, but the blood was still spilling out.

Then, a cool feeling washed over her, a gentle flow of aura ten times stronger than her own feeble one. It poured into her in an unwavering stream, and she knew instantly it was Blake, sharing her life force.

But Weiss wasn't sure it would do her any good. She just wanted to see Blake one last time…

So she opened her eyes and blinked up at her, finding tearful golden eyes with her own fading ones, heart fluttering weakly.

"B-Blake…" she trembled beneath the girl's hands, breath hitching on more blood. "It's oh-okay… you d…don't have to…" She desperately wanted to hold Blake, but she couldn't move her arms or hands.

All she could do was cough again and whisper:

"I… love you, Blake…"

. . .

**Blake sobbed,** but she continued giving her aura to Weiss, felt it stream out of her fingertips into the other girl. Blake could hear Yang moving behind her, but didn't pay her any mind, other than a few frigid words.

"Stay away. You've done enough."

Tears streamed down Blake's face as Weiss opened her eyes, unfocused as they looked meekly up at Blake. The white-haired girl's heartbeat was growing faintly stronger, but it was still so weak. She coughed and spoke to Blake, her voice thin.

"No! I'm not letting you go, Weiss. I love you. _Please_. I don't want to live without you..." Blake begged, and she poured more of her aura into Weiss' frail body. Spots started dancing at the edge of her vision and her breath became harder as if the air had grown thinner. She was giving away a dangerous amount of aura, but she didn't care.

. . .

Weiss moaned as she battled against the cold darkness that threatened to overtake her. Part of her wanted to let go so Blake would finally stop sharing her aura. But the other part of her wanted to hold on and _live_.

What did she truly want, though? To let Blake live alone for the rest of her life, in pain and grief without her? If their roles were reversed, would Blake want that of her?

_No_. Weiss thought defiantly. _I don't want to die. I don't…_

But she was losing her own aura, and at this point, there was probably more of Blake's streaming through her veins than her own anymore.

Suddenly, the throbbing ache in her chest froze - simply froze - and the pain stopped.

_How…?_

But another pain soon overtook her.

Her heart started to _pound_, the blood roaring in her veins as her body convulsed beneath Blake's hands. She let out a strangled scream, eyes squeezing the last of her tears down her cheeks.

Her entire body was coursing with a new energy - it hurt, but that pain was keeping her alive.

But on top of her sickness and the strain already on her body, she didn't even noticed when she started to transform.

Her lungs expanded, limbs extending just a bit, a pool of energy at her tailbone and on the sides of her head. A coating of white fur started to bud from beneath her skin, her clothes unraveling around her as her human form was shed for that of a snow-white panther.

The scar above her left eye remained, and a new one from the bullet wound had been etched into her chest, but the blood had finally stopped flowing.

The process took the rest of her energy, and Weiss lost grip on her conscious as she lay still before Blake.

. . .

Yang's jaw was agape as she witnessed everything - how this black Panther girl raced to Weiss' side without a second thought, how she started pooling her aura into the girl, how Weiss said she _loved_ her-

-how the small huntress started to transform before her very eyes into the creature Yang had despised most all her life.

Yang was dumbfounded as she wiped her tears, not sure what to make of things. She wasn't even sure if Weiss was still alive, but she was sure of one thing; she was in awe at the scene before her, and she didn't dare to move or speak.

. . .

**Blake felt lightheaded,** her breathing was ragged, but she never stopped giving Weiss her aura. She could feel Weiss' heartbeat and breathing growing steadily stronger, but still they remained weak.

But then, Weiss started to spasm underneath her hands, limbs lengthening as fur started to cover her body. Too late, Blake realized there must have been more of Blake's aura than Weiss' own coursing through her body.

Weiss was transforming.

A new fear gripped Blake as she watched her companion scream and change before her eyes.

_Oh god- what if she doesn't survive?_

Blake cut off her flow of aura into Weiss as her body contorted more and more. A tail and whiskers spurt out and fur covered her all over. Her screamed turned into a guttural roar as her body nearly doubled in size.

And then, the white-haired girl finished her transformation and was now a pure white panther.

Blake wiped her eyes and tried to stop crying. She leaned over and put her ear to Weiss' chest, praying.

Relief flooded her body as she heard a steady pulse.

Exhausted, Blake collapsed onto the panther, wrapping both arms gently around her neck. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Yang watching both of them, but she didn't have the energy to fight or even move. She simply raised her head and glared back.

"This is your chance," she growled. "Now you can get _two_ Panthers instead of one. I'm sorry I don't have the energy to transform so you can have my pelt, but I don't think you kill Panthers for the _pelts_." Bitter venom dripped from every word, and the tail that remained in her human form lashed. She drew her lip back to reveal her teeth. "Go ahead. Do it. _I dare you._"

. . .

Judging by the black Panther girl's relieved sigh, Weiss was still alive, and Yang felt a bit better in knowing that. But she still felt pretty damn awful.

She'd just shot Weiss, almost _killed_ her, and for what? To get the pelt of a cat that turned out to be innocent?

Yang eyed the black-haired girl cautiously, wearily, wiping her face on her sleeve again as she finally stood and dusted the snow off her pants. Looking over her shoulder at the two Panthers, she limped over toward her rifle-

-and kicked it away.

"Shut up," she mumbled. "Like hell I could ever kill you guys. Not as you are now, not ever. No. I've killed enough Panthers, most of them probably innocent. I'm done. I'm sick of this pressure to break records of taking lives..."

She turned back and found Blake's eyes, narrowing her gaze.

"You'd better take care of her. Get out of these woods. There's another forest east of here that we can't get to by foot or by air craft; the Hunters will never touch it. Take her there and _keep_ her there."

It'd taken this much - almost killing one of her best friends - in order for Yang to believe her words. Weiss had always said not all Panthers were bloodthirsty killers. Yang was simply blinded by rage at what had happened to Ruby. And her thirst for vengeance had caused her to take innocent lives, and almost Blake's and Weiss' as well.

She knew Blake would keep her safe.

So Yang turned away and headed off through the woods the way she had come.

* * *

**A/N: So the climax has come and gone, but it's not over yet! We've still got a bit of adventure and drama left!**

**Please review!**


	12. The New Plan

**So how is Weiss going to react to her new life and transformation...?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 12. The New Plan

When she opened her eyes again, a splitting headache overcame Weiss, and her body was throbbing with a dull ache. She could see Yang walking away, and tried to call out after her.

But all that sounded was a low whimper.

It wasn't her voice.

When she noticed Blake sitting above her, Weiss wanted to cry out and jump into her arms. But her body was numb from the cold until she tried to sit up.

She saw her paws, saw the long white fur of her scarred chest, felt her heightened sense of hearing, felt her tail swishing in the snow behind her.

She wasn't human.

With a terrified roar, she tensed, pulling herself into a crouched position, ears flat and eyes wide with fear.

She was a panther. Blake had turned her by spilling so much aura into her to save her life. But Weiss didn't know how to turn back, or if she even could. She couldn't understand Blake when she spoke to her in her human form - the noises were unintelligible to Weiss.

A low whining sound rose up in the back of her throat, and Weiss shivered, looking up at Blake with pleading eyes.

. . .

**Blake was more than** relived to know Yang intended to give up her hunting career, and she was more than ready to watch her walk away after all this today.

"Thank you, Yang. I'll keep her safe. I promise."

Then, Blake heard a whimper and looked down. Weiss was awake.

Immediately, the white panther started to panic. She let out a terrified yowl as she tensed and crouched. Blake had been too tired and wary of Yang to think of how Weiss would react to waking up as a Panther. She quickly reached out to rest a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

"Shhh, it's all right, Weiss. You're alive. I had to give you my aura and you turned... but it's all right. Remember what I said? It's just like a thought. Just think about being human and you will change."

Blake spoke calmly to Weiss, hoping to ease her fears. The other girl either couldn't understand or was too terrified as she started to whine, looking at Blake with a fearful eyes. Resting her head against Weiss' muzzle, Blake kissed the cat's nose.

"You'll be fine, Weiss. Just relax, just think about being human," Blake repeated.

. . .

Weiss flinched and shuddered when Blake touched her head, scared she might accidentally hurt the girl somehow now in her bigger form. She couldn't make sense of what Blake was saying, but when she leaned in to place a soft kiss on her nose, Weiss calmed herself.

She tried to dig into her memory of how Blake had once told her she transformed, and once the image of her human self was firm and clear in her mind, Weiss felt her body morphing once more.

Her stature shrank, muscles recoiling as her body took the shape of a human's again. Her tail remained, however, as did her ears, her long white hair fanning out all down her chest and back, a coat of white fur still covering most of her skin, but she was human again. Mostly.

The first thing she did when it was possible, was cry out Blake's name.

"Blake... _Blake!_" She wailed and threw her arms around the girl, her heart still pounding scared with all that had transpired. Blake felt weak in her arms after having spilled so much of her aura into Weiss, but now she was better, and she could feel it, so Weiss opted to give some back.

She held a long, soulful kiss to her lips and transferred a bit of her replenishing aura back to Blake, just a bit, just enough to make the dark-haired girl's embrace around her a bit stronger.

Weiss didn't care that she'd turned. She didn't care that she'd lost her old life. Because she had a new one ahead of her, with Blake.

But she still had one last thing to do.

She broke her kiss with Blake and pulled her to her chest, resting her chin on the tired girl's shoulder as her eyes sought out her old friend.

"Yang!" she called out.

The blonde had stayed behind, worried when Weiss woke in her panther form panicked. When she heard the girl's voice now, she turned back to meet those familiar blue eyes. Her throat closed up.

"Weiss-" she sobbed. "I'm... so, _so_ sorry-"

"Yang…" She cut off her apology and smiled softly. "I forgive you. I'm sorry, too. For… For leaving you, making you worry. But also, thank you. You took care of me a lot back then. Now that's _her_ job." She nuzzled into Blake's shoulder.

Yang was glad to see she was all right, that she was alive and happy. She knew Weiss would be fine.

"Okay…" she sighed. "Thanks, Weiss. For forgiving me 'n all. I'm… turning in my hunting badge, so you don't have to worry about that anymore. You two just… take care, okay? Maybe I'll take a hike to that forest sometime in the spring and see you around, yeah?" Her lips grinned, but her eyes watered at the thought of saying goodbye.

Weiss' condition was the same.

"Yes. Please do. Thank you, Yang."

Weiss watched her go, unspeakably happy that the blonde was giving up hunting, trusting she would be able to take care of her younger sister more now.

Weiss felt Blake sag a bit in her arms and leaned back slightly. She kissed her again, pushing a bit of air into her lungs as she did so, stroking through her hair gently.

"And thank _you_," she murmured. "For saving my life. For giving me a new one."

. . .

**Weiss' arms wrapped** around Blake's neck the second she was human, crying her name as she pressed a kiss to the tired Panther girl's lips.

Blake was too exhausted to do anything but kiss back, happy that Weiss was alive and well. A trickle of aura flowed in from the kiss, but this time Blake didn't need to pull away; she was able to accept her partner's aura.

Strength returned to her limbs and she wrapped her arms around Weiss' waist, holding the girl tight, not wanting to ever let her go again. Quietly, she listened to Weiss and Yang's exchange, happy that the friendship between the two didn't die because of her.

Even with the aura given to her by Weiss, Blake was still exhausted and slumped into her partner's arms, another kiss pressing to her lips.

"I would do it again," Blake replied lovingly as she kissed Weiss back, curling Weiss' tail together with her own. "Also... you're really pretty..." She blushed a little, ears flicking.

. . .

Weiss was fairly flattered by the comment and her ears tilted slightly downward in embarrassment, her tail swishing through Blake's.

"I'm going to need some time to get used to it. You look much better, trust me."

The air was still now, their breath billowing in white puffs around them. Weiss could still feel how exhausted Blake was and held her there for a while, realizing that her own sickness was gone. She assumed it was from the enhancements of now being a Panther; she'd never know Blake to fall ill, after all.

She slid her head down and rested it against Blake's chest, sighing again in relief when she could feel the girl's heartbeat. It's strength matched that of Weiss' renewed pulse, and she squeezed her tighter, thankful that she could.

"Let's go back," she murmured. "I know you're tired so I'll transform and carry you back. That's a favor it's about time I repaid."

She let go of Blake and concentrated, thinking of her Panther form, surprised by how effortless it was to make the shift complete. It was painless, too, thankfully.

Once finished, she laid down in all her beauty as a white panther, and nudged Blake toward her back with a small purr.

. . .

**In spite of her enervation**, Blake smiled as she watched Weiss transform so effortlessly; she was going to make a fine Panther.

When Weiss was ready, Blake carefully climbed on top of her as best she could. It was a little strange though; she'd given plenty of rides, but never been the one to receive one before.

Once she was situated, Blake grabbed handfuls of Weiss' fur and leaned down over her.

"All right, let's go." Blake kissed the back of Weiss' ears and chuckled.

. . .

Weiss gathered her clothes in her mouth as Blake got comfortable, and once they were both ready, she headed off through the forest.

The snow was barely cold against the pink pads of her paws, and though her weight was almost double that of her human weight now, she might've been moving even quieter in this form. Her body heat was incredible, but it wasn't at all stifling, and simply felt natural.

As they went along, she noticed a herd of deer in the distance, but knew now was no time for hunting. Still, she wouldn't mind getting a lesson or two from Blake in the future.

The cave was soon in sight, and Weiss was eager to get back, pausing briefly just to dig up a few sticks for the fire before she brought Blake back inside and let her off, depositing what she'd carried in her mouth onto the ground. She shifted forms as quickly as possible and went to Blake instantly, catching the exhausted girl in her arms and kissing her forehead.

"Here, rest now," she murmured, laying Blake down on their blanket and clothes. "I'll keep you warm this time." She got the fire going before draping herself slightly over Blake, resting on her shoulder and keeping a firm hold on her hip, trailing slow kisses from her neck to her cheek and back.

. . .

**They reached the cave**, where Weiss grabbed some sticks for the fire. The cave was cold and dark when they entered, but as soon as the flames were going the temperature rose cozily.

Blake sat unsteadily on their blankets; her aura was regenerating slowly and her body still felt heavy and slow.

Weiss transformed and wrapped her arms around Blake to steady her. Blake had to admit she already felt so much better jus being beside her. Blake sighed happily as she wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and kissed her cheek.

Blake let out a small purr.

"I love you, Weiss," she murmured as she tilted Weiss' head up and kissed her yet again. "But... I'm sorry you were forced to turn. It was the only way to keep you alive... but you should have been the one to decide if you wanted to turn or not." Blake looked away regretfully.

. . .

She could hear the guilt dripping from every word Blake murmured to her, and Weiss shifted above her, pressing her weight down just a bit to have her stop talking.

"It's fine," she sighed happily. "To be honest… I've been thinking for weeks now about… asking you to turn me. I just never found the guts to say it. I always felt… _lesser_ around you. Being _just_ a human when you were so much more." She stroked her fingers slowly through Blake's hair, running nails over the fur of her ears.

"I'm glad that you turned me. I… didn't want to die, not when we've only just found each other. Thank you for turning me, Blake." She held a long kiss to the girl's lips, breathing softly against her before pulling back. "Though… I _do_ wish we could've done without the bullet," she chuckled to herself, briefly flashing her eyes down to the pink scar slicing over her chest. "It's… kind of ugly, isn't it?" she muttered, her smiling fading.

. . .

**Blake smiled at Weiss' words,** relieved with the knowledge that her companion wasn't bitter. The white-haired girl's nails ran through her hair, scratching her ears as well and eliciting a purr from Blake.

"You were never lesser than me, Weiss. You've always been amazing," she replied.

Blake enjoyed the following kisses, but when Weiss voiced her insecurities about the scar, Blake frowned. Blake immediately pulled her closer.

"It's not ugly at all," she protested. "Nothing about you is," Blake pushed herself up to kiss the scar on Weiss' collar, just above her pulse. "You're beautiful, Weiss."

. . .

She closed her eyes as Blake's lips ghosted over her heart, feeling it thump, then went up to her cheek. Weiss sighed and laid down against her partner, tucking her head beneath Blake's chin.

"Thank you, Blake..."

She closed her eyes, humming softly as she listened to Blake's steady pulse. Her tail snaked down to find hers, curling them together as her hands played through dark hair, then down over Blake's sides, rubbing soothingly as she continued to kiss her neck and collar lazily.

Once they'd both rested more and replenished their auras and strength, Weiss had many things in mind they needed to do.

But until then, she simply curled into Blake and dug up her first purr, rolling it out until her breathing grew slow and quiet.

. . .

**Blake wrapped her arms** around Weiss, entwining their tails. She purred happily as Weiss trailed slow kisses along her neck and collar, massaging her sore sides as well.

Then, Blake's ears flicked at a certain sound.

Weiss purred for the first time in her new body, a pleasant sound that Blake adored as it mixed with her own and echoed throughout the cave.

Even though she knew they needed to rest, Blake had one more thing that needed to be addressed.

"When do you want to move to the forest that Yang mentioned? We can't stay here much longer," she murmured as she kissed the top of Weiss' head. Her hands rubbed light circles up and down Weiss' back, fingernails gently scratching.

. . .

Weiss pondered for a moment, softening her purr a bit so she could concentrate on her thoughts. When she honed in on her senses, she could easily tell they were heightened, much more sensitive than they had been in her full human form. She could sense the oncoming weather beneath her skin, taste it on the roof of her mouth.

There was a distant cold on the air, probably only a few days away, and if they wanted to avoid the blizzard and find a new home by then, they needed to get moving soon.

"Maybe…" her jaws parted in a yawn. "Maybe we should leave tomorrow, before the storm. We don't want to be trapped in here or travel in that."

The present day was no more than half over, so depending on when they woke, they could take off under cover of the night.

"And then once we're there, you should teach me how to hunt. My… pelt will be perfect in the snow."

To refer to a pelt as her own felt odd, and yet it was as though it'd been that way all her life.

. . .

**Blake hummed in agreement,** happy with the new plan they had. She could feel the storm that Weiss was talking about, the taste of it filling the air.

Mirroring Weiss's yawn with one of her own, Blake pulled Weiss closer to her, the smaller girl resting on top.

"We should rest before we go. It's going to take some time to reach that forest, but I know where it is," she said sleepily, closing her eyes. The exhaustion from the day caught up with Blake, and she could quickly feel herself starting to fall asleep. "I'll teach you to hunt when we get there... I promise... We'll have... the best meals you've ever eaten..."

She mumbled herself to sleep with thoughts of good food and new scenery that would inevitably come with her new life with Weiss.

The same images danced through Weiss' mind as well as they both slipped into slumber.

* * *

**A/N: After all that drama and angst, we had to have a fluff chapter.**

**We've got a bit more to go! The final 3 chapters will be a little shorter apiece, but I'm aiming for a solid 15!**

**Please review!**


	13. The Journey

**The journey begins!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 13. The Journey

When she next awoke, it was dusk, and the fire was almost extinguished. She pushed herself lightly off of Blake, allowing her to continue her sleep as the white-haired girl went to their bag, packing away their clothes; they likely wouldn't need them anymore due to the warmth of their fur anyway, but she figured she could take them along.

She also folded the blanket to take, along with a few of her smaller knives, leaving her rifle behind; she wouldn't need that anymore. She'd much rather learn to hunt from Blake. But she was sure to take the ammo out and bury it so it couldn't be used against fellow Panthers.

Once everything was ready, she kicked dirt and snow over the fire to kill it. She then went over to Blake and shook her shoulder gently.

"Blake? We should get going," she purred, slipping into the space between the girl's arms and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

. . .

**Blake woke to the gentle** shaking of her shoulder, the sound of Weiss' voice filling her ear. Before she could open her eyes, she felt Weiss nuzzling her neck. The sensation of it combined with her purr was something that Blake found she quite liked. Opening her eyes, she saw it was dusk, the fire had died and Weiss had covered it with dirt.

"Yeah, you're right. You got everything packed?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around Weiss and stood up bringing the other girl with her. Once up, Blake placed a kiss on Weiss' lips, holding it for as long as she could before she had to pull away.

"Never going to get tired of that," she murmured as she pecked Weiss' forehead and put her down. "You ready? Best if I transform and your put the stuff we're taking on my back. You still aren't used to being a Panther and this is going to be a long trip."

. . .

"That sounds good," Weiss said in agreement to the suggestion of their traveling plan. "But I'm not letting you carry me the entire way. Every hour or so we'll switch. When you're tired, I'll carry you instead, okay?" She strained up to kiss Blake's ear. "You're still recovering too, you know," she reminded her.

"And," she added. "There's no rush, you hear me? Even if we walk the entire way and keep pausing to rest or eat, we'll still beat the blizzard. Don't run and strain yourself or I'll tie a knot in your tail," she threatened playfully, curling her tail with Blake's. "Okay?"

. . .

**"How could you threaten** me like that?" Blake feigned indignation, smiling. Leaning down, she kissed Weiss' cat ears gently. "All right. I promise to take it easy as long as you promise the same," Blake whispered.

They remained for a moment in that cave where they'd spent the first weeks of their lives together, the place that had been their home for so long. They savored the scent of the soil one last time. Blake knew they wouldn't return here.

"Well," Blake cleared her throat. "I think it's time to go." As she was about to transform, she stopped and looked at Weiss. "I recommend you put your hands on the ground before you transform. Less disorientating to move from two legs to four when all of them are on the ground." It was odd, but a little fun to be giving pointers like that.

Blake demonstrated as much and shifted into a panther.

. . .

"Right," Weiss nodded, watching and waiting for Blake to go first. Once she'd completed the transformation, Weiss had Blake lift one of her front paws, slipping the bag's strap around her forearm and hoisting it up to her shoulder, securing it in place and making sure it wouldn't fall off.

Then, Weiss placed her hands on the ground and focused her thoughts on her transformation. She closed her eyes, not entirely sure if she could stomach the sight of her own limbs stretching and twisting into their new places. When she reopened them, she found herself looking into golden eyes and let out a small purr.

It was the first time they'd both been as panthers at the same time, and Weiss instantly found that she could hear Blake's thoughts in this form, and that relieved her.

_This should make things easier,_ she thought.

She followed Blake out of the cave, padding softly in the snow, taking one last look at their old home before turning her head forward, gaze cast out into the woods.

_Now then, Yang said it was east…_

She set herself in the proper direction and made sure Blake was beside her before they set off into the night.

. . .

**Blake watched as Weiss** transformed, her small form growing and expanding until she was a much larger panther. Even in her panther form Weiss was still smaller than Blake, her body more lithe and sleek.

The white panther's eyes opened and blue met gold, both of them letting out purrs as Blake heard Weiss' thoughts.

_It definitely will, _she agreed as she lead the way out of the cave.

They lingered a moment outside the cave, then once they were ready, they took up an easy pace east through the forest. Their paws crunched lightly in the snow, and their whiskers twitched in the breeze.

They made fast progress, Blake able to move faster now that she wasn't carrying Weiss on her back.

_How does it feel to run?_ she asked, turning a quick look to her companion.

. . .

Weiss thought it would feel strange to walk on four feet rather than two, but she quickly found it came naturally in this form, and that she could move with ease. Her muscles worked in sync and without strain, and as she walked, she extended her claws, feeling the snow between her toes with every step. It caught in her fur of matching color, melting into the heat of her body and making for a cooling temperature.

They'd only been moving for a few moments, but Weiss felt like she could continue on endlessly like this with Blake at her side.

_It's… It's incredible,_ she replied.

This wasn't her full speed, but she could imagine running as fast as she could through the forest, imagined it felt less like running and more like flying. Whenever they reached their destination and wouldn't have to fear wasting energy, she fully intended to give it a try.

But there was still a ways to go until they reached the edge of this forest, and they weren't sure how much longer it would take to find the next one. She told herself it would only be a few days or nights until she could let loose entirely and unlock her full potential.

. . .

**Blake smiled as much **as this form could allow at Weiss' answer. She could remember her first time in her panther form as a child, how liberating and exhilarating it had been.

_Glad you like it. Once we find a place to live, I'll show you how to hunt._

They kept up their easy pace through the forest, the cold snow barely affecting them at all. The white blended with Weiss' fur but it flecked through Blake's before it melted.

_Careful. Watch out for roots hidden under the snow. Wouldn't want to twist our ankles so soon, _Blake warned.

After several minutes, she could feel the slight fatigue in her muscles, her breath coming a little more difficult. She should be able to run longer than this, but apparently she hadn't fully recovered her aura.

. . .

Just as Blake warned her, Weiss felt a slight stub on her front paw, and she gave a quick jump to avoid the fall, ears flattening sheepishly, whiskers twitching. She imagined that was the equivalent to blushing in this form. She ducked her head bashfully and continued onward.

The forest at night was at least twice as beautiful as it was during the day, and five times that much when covered in snow. And Weiss had to admit it was nice to travel in this form - as a panther, the top of the food chain rather than a meek little human.

Before long, her ears picked up on Blake's struggle, hearing her breath coming shorter. Weiss paused, realizing she'd pulled ahead of her partner, and backtracked a few steps. She circled around Blake, pressing close to her and whining low in her throat.

_Let's rest for a while. I can keep watch._

. . .

**_I'm fine, _Blake answered,** not wanting to be the reason they stopped. But the whine in Weiss' throat and insistent look made Blake slow down, and eventually cave. _All right we'll stop._

They slowed to a stop next to a large tree that still had a bit of foliage to protect them from any falling snow. Blake transformed into a human; the small tug on her aura from being a panther was relieved the moment her transformation was done.

Her breath was ragged as she sat down with her back against the tree, her face was flushed and she could feel the soreness in her muscles.

"Looks like I'm still not fully recovered," she muttered, annoyed that she was so out of breath already. Opening her arms, she looked at Weiss who was still in panther form. "Come here. We're safe so come and relax with me."

. . .

Weiss was glad Blake gave in and decided to comply to resting. As her partner transformed, Weiss nosed through their bag and pulled out their blanket with her teeth, draping it over Blake's lap and encouraging her to use it.

She wanted to transform as well so she could speak to Blake and hold her, but Weiss needed to ensure Blake was warm first. So she padded around her and curled up, tucking Blake into her side just as she had done for Weiss so many times before. She nuzzled the girl close to her flank, encouraging her to bundle up and absorb some of Weiss' warmth.

She curled around Blake as tightly as she dared, wanting to keep her snug and warm. She fully intended to shift forms later once she was certain the girl was warm enough to not require the heat of her panther's body. Weiss purred against her, nudging Blake's hand to lick the back of it, her black hair tickling Weiss' nose.

She could feel the coolness of Blake's smaller form and willed it away, doing her best to fight it off with her natural body heat.

. . .

**Grabbing the blanket,** Blake wrapped it around herself, making sure to tuck herself in to appease her companion. Even past her slight chill, Blake was a little upset when Weiss didn't transform and instead curled around her. The white cat used her muzzle to tuck Blake into her side, nuzzling against her as she did so.

Blake pouted as she rested her head on her partner's broad shoulder, looking into her blue eyes.

"You could have transformed. You should rest, too." In response, Weiss nudged one of Blake's hands, licking it and purring as she did so. "But this is nice. No wonder you liked curling up to go to sleep," Blake joked as she ran her hand through Weiss' soft white fur. Kissing between her ears, she smiled as they got comfortable.

. . .

Weiss made a soft sound, a purr rolling through her chest as she snaked her tail around Blake. She closed her eyes, though she still planned to stay awake a while longer, at least until Blake fell asleep. She waited until the girl stopped shivering, until her breath had slowed and deepened.

Slowly, trying to move as little as possible, Weiss shifted forms once more, keeping Blake supported on her side all the while as not to rouse her. She slipped her arms around the girl's waist, pulling Blake snugly against her chest as Weiss herself leaned back against the trunk of the nearby tree.

Weiss indulged herself for a while, humming soothingly, rubbing Blake's stomach as she pulled the blanket over her partner, tucking it around her sides. Weiss nuzzled her face into soft, onyx hair, breathing in her familiar scent.

She listened to the sounds of the forest, casting out her heightened senses and content to find no ill auras from any nearby creatures. Only when a wide yawn parted her jaws did Weiss stop humming and let sleep take her.

* * *

**A/N: I'll have to see if I can break this into 2 more chapters or just 1, but we're almost done here! What else awaits these two?**

**Please review!**


	14. The Chasm

**Apologies, but this week's is gonna be a short chapter, sort of a little rest/break almost (I just wanted the fic to be 15 chapters and also I didn't have a lot of time to edit this week, sorry).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 14. The Chasm

**Blake woke up feeling** indescribably warm and was incredibly comfortable. Certainly not something she was too used to, considering her lifestyle.

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked around. The area they had stopped to rest at was only lightly covered in snow and as such wasn't as cold as it could've been.

Blake could feel something soft against her back and tilted her head up. She saw that Weiss had shifted forms to hold her, her white skin covered in whiter fur, her ears drooping slightly in comfort. She was still asleep, her breathing slow and even.

Blake felt the other girl's arms wrapped around her waist holding her snugly, along with her white tail. Turning around in Weiss' arms, she pressed her chest against hers and purred. Smiling, Blake pecked Weiss' lips, happy to feel that her aura had regenerated more while they had rested.

"Time to wake up, beautiful."

. . .

Weiss made a small sound as she was roused, eyes lifting slowly as her lips instantly curled into a smile. She hugged Blake tightly and nuzzled into her neck.

"I'm up, I'm up," she mumbled. "And you feel warmer, so that's good." She could sense the link in their auras, and was able to tell that Blake's had replenished.

She glanced up at the sky, deciding it was still early morning, just before sunrise. The blizzard was likely coming tonight, so she knew they needed to get a move on.

"But before we go, perhaps you could give me a few hunting tips?" she suggested. Her stomach felt a bit hollow, and surely there was a rabbit or two nearby. She was itching to discover what it felt like to hunt, what satisfaction would come from her first kill that didn't require ammunition and bullets.

She cast Blake a curious, patient look.

. . .

**Blake yawned as Weiss nuzzled** into her neck, perfectly content to just curl up again and go back to sleep if Weiss let her. She could feel the link to Weiss' aura and could sense that the other girl was feeling better, the wounds from yesterday not affecting her as much.

The notion of moving had Blake groaning, but when Weiss made a hunting lesson request, Blake's tail twitched. It had been a long time since she'd given hunting pointers. She stood up, stretched, and helped Weiss with her.

"Sure. I can give you some tips, though we'll have to make it fast." Blake lifted her chin to the sky to indicate the weather.

Placing a kiss on Weiss' cheek, Blake transformed into a panther and waited for Weiss to secure their bags and do the same. When ready, they continued through the woods.

_We'll keep heading to the new forest and if we sense any animals we'll stop._

. . .

Once Blake started to transform, Weiss gathered their things and did so as well. The newfound heat that came with this form was very welcome after spending so long in her human body in the snow. She nodded to Blake's silent suggestion, and together, they continued on through the trees.

With her enhanced night vision, Weiss could see clearly in the darkness and snow, but was able to tell when morning was on its way. She could hear the birds chirping overhead, see the shift in lighting. But they had yet to seek out any sufficient prey, and padded on through the snow.

Weiss could sense that this forest was coming to an end. She didn't know _how_ she knew - call it instinct - but she could tell the air was changing. The trees started to thin, and not long after that, they started to disappear.

And suddenly, Weiss knew why Yang had said none of the hunters ever went beyond this point.

A huge chasm yawned before them, the ground falling away into a rocky abyss. There were distant trees on the far side, but no visible bridge to get them across. Weiss cast her partner a helpless look.

_I suppose we should hunt first, then try to find some way around this. Or else, we've got no choice but to climb down and then up the other side…_

_. . ._

**The woods around them** started to thin out - and soon they ran out.

It was quickly apparent why hunters and humans avoided this area; the large chasm in front of Blake and Weiss made an excellent deterrent. Even with her enhanced vision Blake could only just make out the trees on the opposite side. The sharp, craggy rocks lining the pit were enough to draw blood with one wrong step, and a fall surely meant death.

She swished her tail at Weiss.

_Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully there's a way across._

Blake turned around and made her way back to the woods when she was certain Weiss was behind her. Veering slightly to the side they reentered, and right away Blake could tell this area of the woods was inhabited by larger prey. They came across a small clearing with several small deer settling down for the night.

_Ready?_ She glanced to Weiss, who seemed eager. _On__ my mark, you're going to pounce on one of these deer. Aim for the weak, injured, or old. Leave the young and mothers alone. Ready...and... go!_

_. . ._

It seemed cowardly to Weiss to attack them when they were curling up to sleep, but she supposed there really was no better way; this was the wild, after all, and it was kill or be killed, if not by other predators, then by hunger.

She crouched low, eyes scanning the herd and immediately ignoring the ones she couldn't afford to tackle. There were bucks as well, and despite her enhance aura, she'd rather avoid the antlers at all costs.

There was a rickety doe that stumbled to get her legs bent to sleep, and Weiss thought it would be a favor to take her out sooner rather than later. She just hoped she could make the kill quickly.

Her panther instincts kicked into full gear as Blake gave the signal. With her white pelt and their position in the wind, none of the deer heard, saw, or smelled Weiss until it was too late. She pounced, back legs working like springs as she leapt with outstretched paws toward her target.

A few of the other deer shot to their feet with alarm calls before dashing off, but Weiss was focused on her doe. Her claws sank into the shoulders, and she let her body take over as her jaws cut into the throat and twisted sharply, snapping its neck before it knew what was happening. The body fell limp at her paws as the other deer ran off.

Weiss looked up as Blake emerged.

_I hope that was okay. I didn't want her to suffer anymore than she already was. _Her tail flicked nervously, eager for some form of approval or critique.

. . .

**Emerging slowly from her** hiding spot, Blake came to a stop next to Weiss, observing the catch. The doe was a small thing, her back left leg injured; Blake surmised she would have died no matter what with the injury.

She looked up to Weiss and flicked her tail.

_That was good for your first hunt. Your form was good and you were right in finishing it quickly. We're doing this for food, not fun, so the least we can do is respect our prey. _

Blake stepped a little closer and licked the side of Weiss' face, nuzzling the other panther affectionately.

_You did fantastic, and I'm proud of you. Now where should we take this to eat?_

_. . ._

_We could drag it beneath those bushes so we're not in plain sight. Hopefully there aren't any other predators around to spot us._

She sunk her fangs into the carcass, and with Blake's help began dragging it into the shelter and cover of leaves. Once there, they crouched down before the kill, and Weiss looked down at it uncertainly. She'd never just… bitten into such raw meat before without cooking it first, and she wasn't sure if her stomach cold handle it now.

But as Blake began eating, Weiss tentatively leaned forward and bit into the soft, tender flesh of the belly. Her fangs sawed through the thick skin easily, tasting the warm blood drip down her chin. She quickly discovered that her body didn't require cooking or cutting up the meat when she was in this form, and her more animalistic instincts kicked in as she tore into the meal.

She hadn't realized how hungry she was until now, how much energy and aura the journey had taken since they'd set out, and she all but gorged herself on the fresh kill.

. . .

**Once they were in the cover** of the bushes, Blake started tearing flesh from the doe's flank. The meat and blood were still warm as they ate.

Blake could see the apprehension on Weiss' face as she cautiously leaned in to take a bite, and she rumbled a purr of amusement. After the first bite though, Weiss started to relax and eat more vigorously; between the two of them, they made quick work of the kill as they gorged themselves.

Once she had eaten her fill, Blake pulled away and waited for Weiss to finish. The other panther pulled away and her muzzle was red.

_You have something on your face, _Blake teased as she licked her. _Now let's go look for a way around that chasm._

. . .

Weiss purred and gave a lick in return as Blake groomed her face for her. She then ducked her head to clamp down on a mouthful of snow to both quench her thirst and to clean her fur a bit more before she got to her paws.

_Right. Let's go._

This time, Weiss took the liberty of slipping their bag onto her foreleg and then onto her back to carry it.

They treaded through the snow several feet away from the chasm, wary of any unsteady ground that could potentially fall away beneath their paws. She couldn't see any form of bridges or place where the two cliffs were close enough for them to cross over safely, and even if they used their claws and machetes to chop down a tree, none of them were close enough or big enough to be able to fall over the chasm and get them across.

After a while of walking, Weiss turned back to Blake.

_We could shift forms and climb down, then back up the other side. We don't know what could be down there, but at least it's a surefire way to get across. It's a matter of if we want to take that risk or search a bit longer up here. _She sniffed again and looked skyward. _But we've got to move quickly now. So what do you want to do?_

_. . ._

**Blake considered what Weiss** said and weighed their options. It would be safer to find a way across, but it would be more time-consuming and possibly wouldn't bear any results before the snow came.

Climbing down would take time and would be more dangerous, but they could start right away. Transforming back into a human, Blake scratched behind Weiss' ears.

"Let's climb down. It'll take time, but at least we can get started right away."

. . .

Weiss nodded, leaning briefly into the fingers on her ear.

She then shifted forms as well, feeling her stomach that was full of deer meat now shrinking. She thought she might feel too full to move, but somehow, her body accommodated to the change, and she only felt pleasantly full, not painfully satiated.

But it was colder now without the thick layers of fur to protect her, and she quickly went to their bag to retrieve clothes for the both of them.

Once they'd changed, Weiss slipped the straps of the bag over her shoulders and supported the weight on her back as she walked with Blake to the edge of the cliff. She got onto her hands and knees and turned around, lowering herself feet first as she tried to find a grip on the snow-covered rocks. Her foot finally got a sturdy hold and she began to slide down, bit by bit, keeping an eye on Blake as well.

. . .

**She had to admit** the clothes were a welcome layer now that most of her fur had receded, and Blake changed quickly.

Sitting down with her legs dangling over the edge, Blake turned around and held onto the edge as she searched for a sturdy spot. Her foot caught in a crevice and she put her weight in carefully to test it. When she was certain it was safe she started climbing down, making sure Weiss was doing well.

They made their way down the face of the cliff slowly but surely. Wind would pick up and die off as they descended. Blake played it safe, and when the breeze got strong she would stop and cling to the cliff.

She and Weiss looked out for one another and gave advice of where to step and grab. The shadows below yawned up and them and grew darker.

. . .

They continued making their way down very slowly, testing every foothold and pausing when the wind got too strong. Weiss kept glancing down, trying to make out the bottom past the gray hazy mist. For all they knew, there could be any kind of creatures living down there.

At one point, her foot slipped and she skidded down a few feet, yelping aloud as she tried desperately to find a hold. "I-I'm fine!" she called over to Blake once she'd gotten herself situated again. "Gosh, how much further…"

They kept going, and it started to flurry lightly. Weiss cursed under her breath.

Suddenly, a heavy gust of wind shook them both, and there was a foreboding clanking sound as rocks gave way beneath their weight. Weiss shrieked her partner's name, but it was already too late.

She felt herself slipping off, her hands too stiff from the cold to keep a good grip anymore. She caught sight of Blake slipping as well as they both began to plummet.

At the very last second, Weiss thought quickly enough to shift forms, her clothes slipping off her body as she landed hard on her side in her panther form, sinking deep into the bed of snow beneath. Her jaws parted in an agonized roar as the snow closed over her, pain throbbing in her side, terror shooting through her that she didn't know where Blake was.

She didn't know if Blake had changed forms or not, and called desperately to her:

_Blake! Blake, can you hear me? Are you okay?_ She roared out as well, feeling snow fill her mouth as she thrashed, trying to burrow out of the layers that covered her now.

. . .

**The heavy gust** caught Blake by surprise, and she could feel her grip slipping. A loud cracking noise reverberated through the canyon, and Blake felt the earth disappear beneath her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Weiss slipping too as snow and rocks fell around them. She called out, but the avalanche was far louder than her voice.

Blake instinctively transformed to try and protect herself. When she landed, it was just shy of a pile of rocks, but she came out remarkably unharmed.

Her legs her aching and her heart was throbbing, but she gather her bearings and started searching for her partner.

But as she was about to call out for her, one of the falling rocks collided with the top of her head. The world exploded in searing pain as Blake collapsed on her side - she could feel the blood matting her fur. She could hear Weiss' thoughts and roars of panic echoing.

_Weiss…_

Blake called out the thought dizzily as she felt her consciousness turning black.

* * *

**A/N: What kind of finale chapters would these be without some more drama?**

**Please review!**


	15. The Journey's End

**And at last, the final chapter! Thanks to all who made it this far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 15. The Journey's End

_Blake! Blake?!_

She could hear her partner's thoughts, but Weiss was too disoriented to make sense of anything. She tried to roll onto her back and claw her way up to the surface of the snow, making an opening. But the levels of snow were deep, and she felt as though she were drowning.

She quickly realized her panther weight was keeping her down, and so Weiss transformed again. In her lighter human form, she could get a more precise foothold on any mound of packed snow beneath her. Gradually, she made her way up, her weight no longer causing the snow to give beneath her. She burst from the top layer as if it were the surface of water and gasped.

"Blake!"

Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find Blake, lying motionless in her cat form, blood seeping red into the snow around her head.

"Oh no…" Weiss scrambled over to her, grabbing one of her front paws. "Blake? Blake, you've got to transform! I can't find the wound in your fur, it's too dark-" She prayed her partner wouldn't pass out, shaking Blake's paw to indicate her urgency. Weiss gave a kiss to the back of it, letting Blake know she was there. "Please, Blake..."

. . .

**The world felt fuzzy** around Blake. She was struggling to stay conscious, afraid of giving in to that blackness.

She heard movement, and then felt a grip on one of her paws. Weiss was there, and by the sound of it she wasn't hurt, at least not as badly as Blake was. She was talking to her, but to Blake it sounded like it was muffled through wool in her ears.

The other girl started shaking her, and Blake was trying to figure out what Weiss wanted her to do. The words were jumbled and didn't make sense to her. The darkness lapping at her mind surged up...

A soft kiss was pressed to the back of her paw, and Blake was honestly just happy to know that Weiss was with her.

She couldn't hold the bare minimum focus to stay in her panther form and could feel herself slowly transforming back into a human. A chill ran through her and she shivered; she could feel the loss of her fur's warmth all too well now. The cold was jarring enough to keep her conscious, at the very least.

"Weiss… a-are… you all right?"

. . .

Weiss relaxed a little bit as Blake began to transform, waiting until her body had morphed and the paw in Weiss' grasp turned into a hand. Blake's eyes fluttered open, and she could see they were hazy with pain as she spoke.

"Oh, hush about me, I'm fine," Weiss muttered, shifting over a bit in the snow to get closer to her. At least now she could locate the wound more easily. She pulled Blake's head into her lap, following the trickle of blood with her eyes, caressing her fingers through her hair until she found the source of it.

She let her aura flow, concentrating it on the gash as her eyes looked worriedly up to the sky. It was snowing a bit faster now, and when she inhaled, she could tell the temperature was dropping.

But she focused on Blake, clearing her mind of all other thoughts as she began to stop the bleeding.

. . .

**Blake could feel** the wound at the back of her head healing, a cooling sensation emanating from Weiss' hand. The sensation was incredibly relaxing after the terror of the fall, and Blake leaned her head into the touch as she felt the bleeding slow.

Once the blood had stopped, Blake could still feel Weiss sharing her aura. The cooling feeling was helping Blake regain her hold onto her consciousness, the world returning to sharper focus.

The first thing she noticed was that the snow was starting to fall faster and heavier around them. But more importantly than the sky, Weiss was sitting over her with Blake's head resting on her lap.

"Weiss... ow... how long have we been down here?" Blake asked after a moment, wrapping her hands around the other girl's waist and hugging her. She nuzzled her face into her stomach and sighed, her head wound now nothing but an ache.

. . .

Weiss was glad to see Blake regain consciousness, and she let out a sigh of relief, continuing the flow of her aura onto her partner just to be safe. The snow was falling faster now, and the wind was picking up. Their new home was just another climb up the cliff face, but Weiss wasn't so sure she could manage it anymore.

Blake buried her face into Weiss' stomach, and the white-haired girl's cat ears flicked when she heard the question.

"I'm not sure. Probably no longer than ten minutes." She squeezed Blake's shoulders softly, still sharing her aura. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you rest just yet. We've got to keep moving as soon as you feel that you can."

She leaned down and held a long kiss to the back of the girl's head, trying to share as much warmth with her as possible. The snow was falling faster by the second, and Weiss whimpered softly.

. . .

**Blake smiled slightly** when Weiss kissed the back of her head. Slowly exhaling, Blake pulled her face away from Weiss' chest and looked up into her blue eyes.

"All right, I'm ready... let's keep moving. We're almost there, after all."

Blake started to stand up, even though her body wasn't really all that ready for it. She got to her feet carefully, unsure of her balance after taking the rock to the head. Weiss was standing next to her, ready to help if Blake should stumble. Luckily, Weiss had healed most of the damage, and Blake stood up fine. She drew in a good breath and let it out again.

"Let's go." Blake hugged Weiss one more time before walking to the opposite cliff face. The wind and snow were picking up, and the storm was finally catching up with them. If they didn't make it to the top of the cliff before it hit full-force, they would be stuck at the bottom of the chasm for who knows how long.

This would be their finally challenge; their final test of their journey.

. . .

She stayed beside her partner until Blake found her balance on her feet, nodding in determination. They crossed the bottom of the chasm, feeling the frigid cold much more prominently now after having been in their human forms for so long, not even the small layers of fur over their bodies doing much good.

They made it to the opposite side of the cliff without another hitch, but it suddenly seemed like a much farther way up than it had coming down, probably because they couldn't fall _upward_. But Weiss vowed to herself they would make it before the storm hit. They had to.

"Yes. Let's go." She grabbed onto the nearest rock where she could get a hold, watching Blake do the same next to her. Weiss hauled herself up bit by bit, trying to dust the snow off of each rock before she made contact. "We can do this," she called to Blake. "After this, we're home free."

. . .

**Blake took another deep breath,** filling her lungs with the chilly air before reaching up for a hold. The ledge she grabbed was clear of ice and she hoisted herself up, her feet searching for purchase.

Weiss was right next to her as they made their way up the cliff side. The wind whipped around them, picking up in speed as the storm drew closer.

This time Blake and Weiss were more prepared and were better able to hold onto the cliff. They stuck closer and supported one another when they could.

After a while of climbing, Blake started to feel the exhaustion in her limbs. Looking up, she saw that they were nearing the top of the cliff, even as the snow continued to fall harder and harder. It kept getting in her eyes and ears, making her shake her head multiple times.

"Ugh..." She groaned as another slight headache came on, but then felt Weiss' tail reach out to curl with hers. Blake smiled and pushed onward.

. . .

There were a few slip-ups here and there on both their parts, but neither of them fell again. The worst Weiss got was a broken nail, but the blood didn't flow for long until her aura tended to it.

"Come on... almost there…" She grunted encouragement over to Blake who was clearly drained of energy after that blow to the head. Weiss stayed by her for a moment, then slipped away to climb a bit higher up than her. An idea sparked in her mind, and she worked toward putting that into play. She went a bit faster up, making a few gutsy moves that left her lucky she didn't fall to the bottom again.

Snow fell away beneath her hands, and more fell into her eyes from above, but she pressed onward.

Panting and sweating now, she hauled herself up over the top at long last, using her tail for balance as she struggled over. Blake was still climbing, and the white-haired girl grunted down to her.

"Hold onto my tail."

Weiss transformed instantly afterward, her tail growing a few inches to match the size of her animal form. She dangled the tip down toward Blake; at least Blake could hold onto her securely and have some kind of hold that wouldn't give like the rocks and snow could.

Weiss dug her claws into the earth beneath the snow, waiting until she felt fingers grasp her tail.

. . .

**Blake gasped for breath. **Her arms felt weak and black spots danced at the edge of her vision. She could still feel a throbbing from the wound in the back of her head - even though Weiss had healed it, the pain was still present. She could see that Weiss was pulling ahead of her, now nearing closer to the top of the cliff.

Blake stopped climbing, trying to catch her breath. She couldn't really hear Weiss over the wind, so she looked up to see the other girl disappear over the edge, and a moment later a long white tail appeared.

Tentatively she reached out and grabbed with one hand, making sure not to hold onto too tightly. Using her other hand to grip the snow, she started climbing the rest of the way up.

When she finally grabbed the top of the cliff, Blake pulled herself up as much as she could, heaving her body over the side. She huffed out her breath as she let go of Weiss' tail.

"Thank you," Blake gasped as she reached out to her.

. . .

Once Blake was safely on solid ground with her again, Weiss shifted back into her human form. She reached out her arms and pulled Blake into a tight hug.

"There. We did it, Blake. We made it."

The forest that stretched out before them now seemed endless, and the trees were so closely packed together that it was clear why humans could never use Air Ships to travel here. Weiss imagined that in the springtime it would be teeming with life and animals, but due to the oncoming storm, the forest was motionless now aside from the two of them.

She held Blake a moment longer until they had both regained their breath, and then stood, helping her partner up as well.

"Come on. We've just got to find someplace to take shelter. It doesn't have to be where we stay permanently - just temporary is fine."

. . .

**Blake enjoyed the close** contact with Weiss, happy that they had made it to the other side of the chasm.

After taking a moment to get her bearings, Blake nodded; shelter was something they needed soon to wait out this storm.

Taking Weiss' hand, Blake stood up next to her companion and looked out at the massive forest ahead of them. The trees were packed densely together, everything blanketed in quiet white.

"All right let's find somewhere quick, I'm exhausted." Changing forms, Blake waited for Weiss to do the same before they took off into the woods. Blake could feel how much harder it was to maintain her panther form with how tired she was, the injury to her head making focusing harder as she ran alongside Weiss.

. . .

They raced off into the unknown forest. Normally, they would take more caution and listen and smell for potential danger, like other Panthers. But they were the only ones crazy enough to be out in this weather now, and they weren't intercepted or challenged at all.

The snow was falling harder, and Blake was falling behind. Weiss kept close to her, grunting encouragement as she shared her thoughts.

_Don't worry, we'll make it. Just keep going a bit farther._

And at long last, they found what they were looking for. A small mountain that rose up before them had a yawning hole in the side of it, and it was unoccupied. The scent on it was fox, but it was stale; the previous owners must have changed locations a while ago.

Weiss ushered her partner inside, encouraging her to lie down.

_I'm going to dig away some of the snow from the entrance so we don't get trapped in. I'll be back in a minute_.

She left Blake there to rest and headed back into the biting cold. Using her massive front paws, Weiss dug furiously, clearing away several layers of snow to spare them of the risk of getting caved in. So long as they took care to clear the entrance every few hours within the night, they would be fine.

. . .

**Blake rested near the entrance** of the cave in case Weiss needed help. The black panther curled up to preserve body heat in the frigid weather. She was better able to hold onto her Panther form now that she wasn't forced to run through the cold. She listened to the sounds of Weiss working, her little grunts of effort.

Blake started to fall asleep, the exhaustion and pain catching up with her now that she was in shelter and able to relax somewhat. But she forced herself to stay awake for Weiss' sake.

Blake examined the large cave that was their temporary home. It was about the same size as their last one, though it stretched out further in the back, and even with her night vision Blake couldn't make out the far wall.

Breaking her from her thoughts, Weiss returned to the cave and Blake looked up at her tiredly.

_Come here. Let's just relax for now. I feel more exhausted than I've ever been._

. . .

Weiss finished her work and trudged back into the cave, feeling the wear in her paws with every step. She retreated to Blake and licked the fur of her head and neck a few times, nuzzling her affectionately.

_We did it, Blake. We made it_.

She collapsed onto her side, curling tightly around Blake, continuing to give gentle licks to the injury on the back of her head.

The wind howled on outside, and Weiss listened as Blake gradually fell asleep. She rested her chin on her companion's shoulder before closing her eyes as well, knowing that they would soon wake to a new life.

. . .

* * *

**. . .**

**Blake looked outside of their cave.** The sun was just starting to rise over the nearby mountain.

It had been months since they had made the journey to their new home.

After they had spent the first night in the cave they had found, Weiss and Blake had set out the next day to find a more suitable home, not venturing far for fear the storm would pick up again.

Within a few miles, they had found a larger cave near a river, an ideal spot for the two girls to make their new home. They had lived there since, and had made a new life for themselves, one they were happy with since they were together.

Presently, Blake stretched her arms out across their bed of blankets, moss, and feathers, and tapped against Weiss' side.

"Wake up, Weiss. It's a beautiful day out." Blake gently shook the other girl's shoulder to get the white-haired girl moving. By now, the weather had warmed, so they had taken to sleeping in their human forms.

. . .

"Mmm…" Weiss blinked her eyes open sleepily as she looked up at her partner. Sometimes she still couldn't believe it was reality, and not just some dream.

Weiss stretched, feeling the comfortable padding of their shared bed beneath her as she did so. Blake was sitting above her, and Weiss reached up to hug her.

"I'll get up soon. Just five more minutes," she implored. Embracing Blake, she pulled the other girl down on top of her and stroked through her fine hair, then reached up to scratch her ears as their tails entwined.

She sighed contentedly, something she'd done every day since they'd arrived here. There'd been no trouble from the native Panthers, as the cave Blake and Weiss had selected to stay in was beyond the limits of their territory. And due to the immense number of big cats in these parts, the wolves and foxes were fewer, which in turn spelled fewer competition for the two girls, and more plentiful prey.

"Every day…" Weiss sighed. "Every day I wake up and wonder how we got so lucky. How _I _got so lucky," she rephrased, straining up to kiss Blake's cheek.

. . .

**Blake smiled when she felt** familiar arms wrap around her neck and bring her back down to their bed. Weiss started scratching her ears as Blake laid atop her, their tails intertwined as Blake purred in response to all the attention.

"Every morning you say just another five minutes, and every morning it's much longer," Blake teased as she rubbed her hands up and down Weiss' sides. She wasn't complaining; her time with Weiss was the best of her life, but it was always fun to tease the other girl. Smiling at the kiss placed on her cheek, Blake leaned down and kissed Weiss' cheek back.

"I'm the one who's supposed to say that," Blake replied as she moved over from Weiss' cheek and captured the other girl's lips in a light kiss. "_I'm_ the one who's lucky."

. . .

"We both are." Weiss sighed happily as she closed her eyes again, feeling Blake's hands rubbing soothingly up and down her sides. She made a small, content sound in the back of her throat and hummed lazily. "I'm just so exhausted after yesterday. That oaf really took it out of me…"

She was referring to none other than Yang Xiao Long. As the blonde girl had promised a few months back, she had trekked her way into the new forest and visited the two of them, glad to find them safe and happy. Yang had since given up her career as a Hunter and now worked a restaurant in town to help support her family.

Yang had stayed most of the day yesterday, talking to Weiss and Blake, sharing meals and news of Ruby and other things. She had said the bloodthirstiness for the Panthers' lives had almost diminished in town after several big protests and meetings had been held. They were a long way from peace, but they were getting there, step by step.

Publicly, Weiss was known to be dead, but only Yang and a few other people who truly cared about her knew the truth.

Yang had left early to make it home before nightfall, but for whatever reason, having her visit had drained Weiss a bit, probably just from the excitement of it all, if anything.

"She said she'll come again in a few weeks, so we should enjoy our alone time before she comes trouncing back," Weiss mumbled.

Blake kissed her, and she returned it warmly, locking her fingers behind the girl's neck and pulling her down to deepen it.

. . .

**Blake sighed into the kiss** when Weiss pulled her down and deepened it. Blake was the one to pull away for air, resting her head on Weiss' collar and listening to her heartbeat.

"Yes, Yang can be quite the handful," she agreed.

Blake had been initially uncomfortable around the former Huntress, their last meeting still rather fresh in Blake's mind.

But that discomfort had quickly been dashed when Yang had embraced both her and Weiss in a bear hug, crushing them as she'd greeted them enthusiastically. During her visit, Yang had pulled Blake aside to privately apologize for what she had done and to tell Blake that Weiss was happier than she had ever been as a full human.

"It's good to have our alone time," Blake murmured as she nuzzled Weiss' neck. "Maybe Ruby could come and visit sometime. From the stories you and Yang tell, she sounds like someone I'd like to meet."

. . .

"Oh, there's an idea. I'm sure Yang could find some way to get her out here. I've missed Ruby. She was a good friend," Weiss recounted a little mellowly. "But now I'll always have you." She cuddled Blake closer to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment, breathing slowly.

It was incredible, all the things that had happened in the past few months. Half a year ago, Weiss had been killing Panthers as per her father's orders, and now here she was - a runaway - living with, and loving one.

And she'd never been happier.

Weiss kept one hand on Blake's back as the other traveled down to find the hand Weiss had shot upon their first meeting. The old would had long-since healed and hadn't even left a scar, but she kissed it anyway, brushing her lips over Blake's nails and then dipping down into her palm and to her wrist.

A few minutes later, she kissed the top of Blake's head and reopened her eyes.

"Let's go for a walk this morning before breakfast," she suggested.

. . .

**Blake nuzzled further** into Weiss when she pulled her closer, happy to just relax with the other girl.

Months ago, Blake had been afraid of Hunters, afraid of the death and despair they'd brought.

Now she had not only run away with one and forsaken her pack; she _loved_ one and had transformed her into one of Blake's own kind. She couldn't imagine her life without Weiss now.

Blake could feel Weiss' hand traveling down her back, grabbing her hand and bringing it to her lips. The white-haired girl kissed the spot where she had shot Blake the first time they met, her lips ghosting over her nails and going down to the palm and wrist. A purr rumbled in Blake as Weiss kissed the top of her head.

"Sounds wonderful. Do you want to walk or run?" Blake asked helping her companion up.

. . .

"We can walk," Weiss answered. "I want to hold your hand."

Together, they stood and headed for the open forest beyond their cave.

For a moment, they simply stood there, bathed in the early-morning sunlight, listening to the birds singing as they woke, smelling the dew on the grass.

Weiss pulled Blake down into one more kiss, and they held it, pressing warm lips together, hearts pounding softly as one.

There were murmurs of love shared, love they'd never dreamed possible, but that had by some miracle come true and been found in one another.

They pulled apart and locked hands before heading out into the forest to meet another day, their feet passing over the pawprints in the dust; the constant, silent reminders of their struggles, their successes, and their love.

_**[Fin].**_

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**A/N: Fifteen weeks of this fic and now it's finally finished! I know it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and the writing was old and not so good and a bit rushed, so I wanna thank everyone who read till the end!**

**Please review!**


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